From Jihad Unspun An American tank that was parked outside the as-Sajariyah mosque in western ar-Ramadi opened fire with its machine guns on worshippers as they emerged from the place of worship after the congregational prayers at midday Friday, cutting down more than 40 people. .... the soldier who was standing on the back of the tank continued firing the machine gun at the worshippers for about three minutes. .....
An Iraqi Resistance martyrdom fighter drove an explosives-packed tank truck into a US military column on the strategic road linking ar-Ramadi with points in western Iraq .... the bomber blasted into one American Zil troop transport vehicle, totally destroying it and killing 11 US soldiers. .... the US military had made no mention of the attack for fear of demoralizing the US troops. ....
"Oh I'm so demoralized. Hold me, Tyrone!"
Two Iraqi Resistance bombs exploded by US military column in the Abu Ghurayb area west of Baghdad at 2pm local time Friday afternoon. .... two bombs that were planted near each other not far from the Abu Munaysir Bridge blew up by a US column. The first blast struck a Humvee, the second a Zil American troop transport. .... the explosions killed seven American troops and severely wounded another three. ....
"Dammit, Tyrone, why'd ya bring the Zil? The Humvee I understand, but I loved that Zil!"
"Umm, sorry sir."
An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US column in the northern Baghdad suburb of ar-Rashidiyah at 4pm local time Friday afternoon. ... the bomb destroyed one Humvee and disabled a second, killing four US troops and wounding three others. .....
An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US column on the highway near the southern Baghdad suburb of ad-Durah .... a bomb that was planted by the side of the highway blew up as a US column passed by. The explosion destroyed one Humvee, killing three US troops and wounding two more. ....
An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US military column on the main road in the northern Baghdad suburb of at-Taji close to the at-Taji bridge and the Sabâ ad-Duwar district .... a bomb that was planted by the main road in the town blew up as the US military column passed by. The explosion destroyed one Humvee, killing at least five US troops and wounding a sixth, witnesses said. ....
An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US military patrol on the highway into Tikrit ... a bomb that had been hidden by the side of the road blew up as an American patrol went past on its way into town. The explosion destroyed a Humvee, killing four US troops. ....
An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US military patrol in the ash-Shuhadaâ neighborhood of al-Yusufiyah, south of Baghdad .... a bomb that was planted by the side of a road in the ash-Shuhadaâ neighborhood blew up as a US patrol was passing, destroying one Humvee and killing three US troops.
Quite a string of bombings. Such brave jihadis.
Iraqi Resistance fighters shot down a US Apache helicopter over Kirkuk in northern Iraq on Friday morning. .... the Resistance fired a rocket that scored a direct hit on the Apache, causing it to crash, killing the crew. ....
An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by US forces on the highway linking an-Nasiriyah with al-Basrah. ..... the attack severely damaged a US Humvee, killing two American soldiers and wounding three more US troops.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
08/15/2005
20:30 ||
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A research team is proposing a new technique that would allow meat to be grown in a laboratory for mass consumption, according to a report.
Researchers in the U.S. say the technology now exists now to produce processed meats such as burgers and sausages, starting with cells taken from cows, chickens, pigs, fish or other animals.
Researchers in the U.S. say the technology now exists now to produce processed meats such as burgers and sausages, starting with cells taken from cows, chickens, pigs, fish or other animals.
Growing meat without the animal would not only reduce the need for the animals -- which often are kept in less than ideal conditions -- but may also address a number of environmental ills blamed on meat production.
Cultured meat could also be tailored to be healthier than farm-raised meat, while satisfying the increasing demand for protein by the world's growing population, proponents say.
Industrializing the process could involve growing muscle cells on large sheets or beads suspended in a growth medium. Anyone here ever read The Space Merchants?
Once the cells have grown enough, they could be scraped off and packaged. If edible sheets or beads are used, all of it could be eaten.
But butchers and vegetarians are just two groups of people who are yet to be convinced.
"To he honest anything they can do with test tubes or whatever, it can't be made," butcher Rodney Macken said.
"I don't like eating a cow that's been pumped full of growth hormones that artificially grow it so it gets onto our plates quicker," a diner said. " I would feel the same about a lump of meat that had been pumped full of chemicals and that had been artificially modified."
Supporters also said growing meat would reduce the number of animals killed and cut environmental waste that comes from livestock.
#2
Takes too long to move to refrigeration before the meat spoils under the sun. You know with all those power outages can't count on a cold slab either.
Officials in Chechnya say a car bomb has exploded near government buildings in the capital, Grozny, killing one person and wounding at least seven others.
Some reports from Grozny say the blast killed a young boy at a nearby gasoline station.
Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency says a session of Chechnya's Kremlin-backed government was interrupted by the explosion. The news agency also reports that Russian officials say a major search operation is continuing for a group of militants who attacked a house in southwest Chechnya on Saturday.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
17:10 ||
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Lawia Sakra, the central suspect in last week's terror attempt in Turkey and one of the five most senior members of al-Qaida, met Mohammad Atta and supplied passports and money to terrorists in the United States, the Turkish daily Zaman reported on Monday.
Is there no one who didn't meet Mohammad Atta?
Lawia Sakra, a suspected Syrian al-Qaida operative arrested in Turkey last week, claims he knew about the preparations for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, and even helped the terrorists. Sakra was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the latest attempted terror attack against Israeli tourists that was thwarted in Southern Turkey. The Turkish newspaper Zaman published Monday details from the investigation conducted by Turkish security forces. According to the probe, Sakra related that he supplied passports and money to some of the terrorists that were involved in the attacks in New York and Washington. He also claimed that he met the Egyptian Mohammed Atta, who is considered to be the commander of al-Qaida operations, and who flew the first plane into the Twin Towers.
Along with Sakra, Turkish police arrested last week some ten others suspected in the planning of last week's attempted attacks. Zaman reported that Sakra is an al-Qaida commander in Turkey, one of the five most senior members in the organization and an expert in destruction. He said he was not connected to the bombing in Sharm el-Sheik last month that killed 88 people. Sakra is also a suspect in the 2003 attacks in Istanbul, in which 60 people were killed. Sakra allegedly assisted in the operations in attacks on two synagogues and on the British consulate, and in helping the bombers to flee the country.
While the other detainees connected to this matter are religious and pray while in jail, Sakra claimed that he does not pray. Sakra was undergoing psychological treatment and taking anti-depressants when he was arrested, Zaman also reported, and following a psychiatric evaluation, it was decided to continue this treatment in prison. Sakra was arrested last Sunday in the city of Diyarbakir, in southeastern Turkey, when he tried to board a flight to Istanbul. The police suspect that he underwent plastic surgery and tried to fly to Istanbul under Bedouin identity documents to carry out another attack. The police also suspect that he is still in contact with al-Qaida operatives, even after his arrest.
Last week, five cruise ships carrying more than 5,000 Israelis were diverted from Turkish ports because of intelligence reports warning of suspected attacks by al-Qaida. The Israeli government issued a warning to citizens that called on Israelis to avoid visits to the coastal strip of Turkey. The warning was lifted after the arrests. After his arrest last week, Sakra yelled from the courthouse window, "I have no remorse. I planned to attack Israeli ships. If they come, my friends will attack them." He also yelled, "Allah Akbar," Arabic for 'God is great,' before police closed the window.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
17:09 ||
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#1
Dan I have never seen this man's name on a Al Qaeda leadership chart....have you?
#3
"To reach Lawia Sakra, dial...we're sorry, that extension is no longer available"
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 18:27
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Not to throw sand in the gears, but what thug is not going to say he is in OBL's inner circle?
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005 19:17
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The Turkish opinion is that he's the #5 but either way he seems to be a major player: the plastic surgery, C-4, cash, and the fact that he's in tight with Zark seems pretty clear at this point.
I expect the Turks are in close coordination with Mossad on this one, though they were apparently annoyed at the Israelis for issuing a public alert for fear that it would alert other Sakra flunkies they were trying to nab.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005 19:53
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Don't mean to create defensiveness with this. Isn't this the fellow who likes to drink rather than pray?
Everyone, it seems, is in tight with Zark. How many Lts have been captured or killed at this point? Money and C-4 is relatively fungible. Oh, and the Turks--enough said.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005 22:13
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The first urine-powered paper battery has been created by physicists in Singapore. The credit-card sized unit could be a useful power source for cheap healthcare test kits for diseases like diabetes, and could even be used in emergency situations to power a cellphone, they say.
Testing urine can reveal the identity of illnesses, and the new paper battery could allow the sample being tested to also power the diagnostic device....
Yemen began the trial on Monday of 34 supporters of a slain Shi'ite cleric but the judge quickly adjourned the session after the unruly defendants chanted slogans against the government and its ally the United States.
"Death to America, Death to Israel," the defendants shouted in unison before loudly reciting the Koran, drowning out all court proceedings. "We reject this trial as the government that is prosecuting us is our enemy."
Before the ruckus erupted, the prosecutor had charged the Yemenis, six of whom are being tried in absentia, with belonging to a subversive armed group.
The defendants have confessed to being loyalists of slain rebel Shi'ite cleric Hussein al-Houthi who launched an insurgency against the state last year.
The group -- which includes a woman, a 15-year-old and an army officer -- was also charged with launching grenade attacks in the capital Sanaa and of planning to assassinate politicians and army officers.
The trial was adjourned a week to Aug. 22.
Yemen says the Houthi rebel group wants to install Shi'ite clerical rule and preaches violence against the United States and Israel. The group is not linked to al Qaeda.
Houthi was killed last year along with 200 rebels in battles with state troops. The government blamed his father, Sheikh Badr el-Deen al-Houthi, for a new round of fighting that erupted in March and in which 170 rebels and security forces were killed.
The elder Houthi has since accepted an amnesty and agreed to stop fighting. But the government has arrested scores of loyalists after a spate of grenade attacks in Sanaa this year.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
17:06 ||
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The Indonesian government and Aceh rebels on Monday signed a peace treaty to end nearly 30 years of fighting in the oil- and gas-rich province that has killed 15,000 people.
The signing ceremony in Helsinki followed seven months of talks mediated by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who spurred the two sides to agreement to help international aid reach the region that was devastated by last year's tsunami.
The pact gives amnesty to members of the Free Aceh Movement, or GAM. It was signed by Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin and Malik Mahmud, an exiled rebel leader who was briefly jailed in Sweden last year after Indonesia accused him of terrorism.
Also, an Indonesian court Monday sentenced the alleged mastermind of 2002 bombing of a McDonald's restaurant to life in prison, saying the Islamic militant planned the attack that came just weeks after the Bali nightclub attacks.
The accord, which became possible after GAM agreed to disarm and to renounce a demand for full independence, will be overseen by monitors from the European Union and Southeast Asian countries.
The peace process was initiated by Ahtisaari, a former peace broker in the Balkans and Namibia, after he was approached by the Indonesian government to help find a solution to the conflict.
GAM leaders, who have been living in exile in neighboring Sweden for decades, also backed the choice of Ahtisaari and joined in the talks that were held at a secluded manor house outside the Finnish capital.
After the tsunami, which killed 130,000 people in Aceh alone, aid workers poured into the formerly closed province, leading to international pressure on Jakarta to halt the violence â particularly from the United States and the European Union.
A previous truce ended after only six months in 2003, when the Indonesian army expelled foreign observers, declared martial law, arrested rebel negotiators and mounted an offensive in which more than 3,000 people died.
Hostilities in the area broke out in 1976. Although many Acehnese wanted an end to the bloodshed, there was general support for independence because of abuses. Human rights groups accuse Indonesia's army of executions, disappearances, torture and rapes.
Aceh, once an independent sultanate, was invaded in 1870 by the Dutch, who attached it to their East Indies colony, which gained independence as Indonesia in 1949.
The peace agreement comes on the heels of the conviction of Agung Abdul Hamid, 38, who was found guilty of being the "field coordinator and financier" of the early evening bombing that killed three people in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar. The dead and injured were all Indonesians.
"The defendant Agung Abdul Hamid ... has been convincingly proven guilty of planning or inciting other people to carry out an act of terrorism that resulted in casualties and destruction of public facilities," Judge Andi Haidar told the court.
Haidar said Hamid was guilty of violating the country's harsh anti-terror law and the 1951 Emergency Law on illegal possession of arms and explosives.
Prosecutors, who had demanded the death sentence for Hamid, described how he supplied the explosives and paid four others to take part in the December 2002 attack on the restaurant in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar.
Authorities who arrested him after massive manhunt said he was part of Laskar Jundullah, a little-known militant group believed to have connections with the al Qaeda-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah.
He also is accused of meeting Malaysian militant Azahari bin Husin in Jakarta. Azahari is accused of masterminding the Sept. 9 suicide attack outside the Australian Embassy that killed at least 11 people. Azahari remains on the run, along with fellow Malaysian militant Noordin Mohamed Top.
Hamid told reporters afterward that he was innocent and would appeal the verdict.
"I reject the sentence because all these charges are false. The trial is engineered and full of American intervention," Hamid told reporters. "Allah Akbar (God is great). I will challenge this unfair verdict."
At least 17 other men have been convicted and sentenced to jail terms ranging from two to 19 years over the Makassar blast, which came less than two months after bombings at nightclubs on Bali island killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.
Many of those found guilty are alleged to have fought in a bloody war between Muslims and Christians in central Sulawesi in 2000 that left 1,000 people dead.
Since the Bali bombings, suicide bombers have struck at the J.W. Marriott hotel and the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Jemaah Islamiyah, some of whose members are believed to have had contacts with senior al Qaeda figures, has been blamed for the attacks.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
17:04 ||
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Iraqi leaders remained deadlocked Sunday over major issues in the country's new constitution, raising the possibility they would fail to meet the Monday deadline and push the country toward a political crisis.
With several questions unresolved, Shiite leaders said Sunday that they were considering asking the National Assembly to approve the document without the agreement of the country's Sunni leaders. Such a move would probably provoke the Sunnis, whose participation in the political process is seen as crucial in the effort to marginalize the Sunni-dominated guerrilla insurgency.
Shiite and Kurdish leaders said they were also considering giving themselves more time to reach a deal, though it was by no means certain that they could without amending the interim constitution, the law currently in force. That would require a three-fourths majority of the 275-member National Assembly.
If the deadline is not met nor the interim constitution successfully amended, the law appears to require dissolving the National Assembly and holding new elections. Shiite and Kurdish leaders said late Sunday that they were discussing that possibility, but said that they hoped to avoid it.
"That is the worst option, and we want to avoid it all costs," said Ali al-Dabbagh, one of the Shiite leaders charged with writing the new constitution.
The negotiations were stalled on a number of issues, including the role of Islam in the state, the rights of women and the distribution of power between central and regional governments. Issues that had seemed to have been settled, like the sharing of oil revenues, came unraveled.
American officials here have been pushing the Iraqis to meet the Aug. 15 deadline, arguing that any delay in the political process, devised to culminate in democratic elections in December, could risk strengthening the insurgency. A stalemate could also stall the Bush administration's plans to begin reducing the number of troops here as early as next spring.
The deadlock reflected a lack of consensus on basic questions underlying the nation's identity, a consensus which has largely eluded this country since it was carved from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire after World War I.
The disagreements run almost entirely along ethnic and sectarian lines, reflecting the deep divisions among Iraq's majority Shiites and the Kurdish and Sunni minorities.
The principal unresolved issue is whether to grant to the country's Shiite majority an autonomous region in the south. Shiite leaders are demanding that nine provinces in southern Iraq - half of the provinces in the country - be allowed to form a largely self-governing region akin to the Kurdish autonomous region in the north.
The leaders of Iraq's Sunni population staunchly oppose the Shiite demands, contending that if the Shiites and the Kurds were both granted wide powers of self-rule, there would be little left of the Iraqi state. The issue of Shiite autonomy is especially significant because the richest oil fields are situated in the extreme south of the country.
Indeed, some Sunni leaders say the Shiite demand for self-rule is largely a cover for hoarding the bulk of Iraq's oil revenues. On Sunday, an agreement on sharing oil revenues between the central and regional governments fell apart, with the Shiites demanding more control.
Under prodding from the American ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, the Shiites agreed to hold off on their demands for regional autonomy, in exchange for a mechanism in the constitution that would allow them to achieve that autonomy later. Under the formula favored by the Shiites, provinces could set up autonomous regions if they secured majority votes of their people, the provincial assemblies and the National Assembly.
But Sunni leaders rejected that proposal, saying it would only slow down, but not significantly hamper, the Shiite drive for self-rule. While accepting Mr. Khalilzad's basic formula, the Sunnis said they would insist on two-thirds majorities in all the voting.
"If we accept federalism, the country will be finished," said Saleh Mutlak, a Sunni leader on the constitutional committee.
Late Sunday, after many hours of negotiating, some Shiite leaders said they were so impatient with what they described as Sunni intransigence that they began to threaten to ram the constitution through the National Assembly without Sunni support.
Theoretically, at least, that was possible. Sunnis constitute only about 20 percent of the population, and they hold virtually none of the seats in the National Assembly, in part because they boycotted national elections in January. If the Shiites and the Kurds united around the proposed constitution, they could probably secure enough votes for its approval in the National Assembly, and in the nationwide constitutional referendum scheduled for Oct. 15.
Under the rules agreed to last year, the Sunnis could defeat the constitution, but only if they could muster a two-thirds majority voting against it in 3 of Iraq's 18 provinces. The Sunnis are believed to constitute a majority in three provinces, but some Shiite leaders said they were untroubled by the prospect of a Sunni veto.
"The Sunnis have to find a two-thirds majority, and they can't," said Sami al-Askary, a Shiite member of the constitutional committee.
Pushing the constitution through without the Sunnis, though, would almost certainly bring a Sunni reaction. Sunni leaders suggested that they could back out of the political process altogether, raising the prospect of a Sunni boycott of the Oct. 15 referendum and the Dec. 15 elections.
American leaders fear that failing to bring the Sunnis along into the political process would only further intensify the insurgency, which is already attacking American forces an average of 65 times a day here.
As the Aug. 15 deadline approached, it was difficult to differentiate between credible threats and high-stakes bargaining. There were suggestions, for instance, that the Shiite leadership itself was not unified on the federalism question. One of the Shiite leaders, Abdul Aziz Hakim, the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic revolution in Iraq, who was expected to attend a meeting of the top political leaders on Sunday night, surprised many when he failed to show up.
Among the other questions still unresolved are the role of Islam in the state, including a proposal by the Shiites to include a political role for the Shiite religious leadership in Najaf. The power granted to Islam in the new constitution could affect the rights of women, particularly if Islamic law is allowed to govern marriage and family disputes.
Iraqi leaders have still reached no agreement on the city of Kirkuk, which is divided among three ethnic groups but claimed by the Kurdish regional government. The Kurds are pushing for a timeline to reverse decades of Saddam Hussein's "Arabization" policy that would require the repatriation of tens of thousands of people.
Also on Sunday, the American command announced the deaths of five American soldiers, all from roadside bombs. In the bloodiest attack, a bomb killed three American soldiers on patrol on Friday in the city of Tuz, north of Baghdad. A fourth soldier was wounded.
On Sunday, another roadside bomb killed an American solider and wounded three others near the western town of Rutbah. A fifth American soldier was killed Saturday by a roadside bomb in western Baghdad, and another was wounded.
The propaganda war continued as well. In a statement posted on the internet, Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia warned the Sunni clerics against urging their faithful to take part in the referendum on the constitution. The warning appears to be a reaction to the fact that many Sunni preachers, in contrast to the elections in January, are urging Sunnis to vote this time.
"Be informed that this conspiracy is to get America out of the logjam that it fell into," the statement reads. "We in the Al Qaeda organization will manifest the backsliding of all who call for the writing of the constitution and arbitrating on other than God's laws."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
17:02 ||
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#1
Enough of this crap.Tell the Sunnies they have 1 wk to put a stop to the insurgency,kill or turn over Zargi and pals.If not they are SOL and any further attacks by Sunnies and Zarqi will be considered an act and decleration of all out war.Betcha that get thier attention.
FORGET dangers from giant meteors: Earth is facing another threat from outer space. Scientists have come to the conclusion that two mysterious explosions in the 1990s were caused by bizarre cosmic missiles.
The two objects were picked up by earthquake detectors as they tore through Earth at up to 900,000 mph. According to scientists, the most plausible explanation is that they were "strangelets", clumps of matter that have so far defied detection but whose existence was posited 20 years ago.
Formed in the Big Bang and inside extremely dense stars, strangelets are thought to contain "strange quarks", particles normally only seen in high-energy accelerators.
Strangelets - sometimes also called strange-quark nuggets I think I ate that brand as a kid - are predicted to have many unusual properties, including a density about ten million million times greater than lead. Just a single pollen-size fragment is believed to weigh several tons.
They are thought to be extremely stable, travelling through the galaxy at speeds of about a million miles per hour. If they're so stable, why do they hate us? A team of American scientists believes that it may have found the first hard evidence for the existence of strangelets.
The scientists looked for events producing two sharp signals, one as it entered Earth, the other as it emerged again. They found two such events, both in 1993. The first was on the morning of October 22. Seismometers in Turkey and Bolivia recorded a violent event in Antarctica that packed the punch of several thousand tons of TNT. The disturbance then ripped through Earth on a route that ended with it exiting through the floor of the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka just 26 seconds later - implying a speed of 900,000 mph.
The second event took place on November 24, when sensors in Australia and Bolivia picked up an explosion starting in the Pacific south of the Pitcairn Islands and travelling through Earth to appear in Antarctica 19 seconds later.
According to the scientists, both events are consistent with an impact with strangelets at cosmic speeds. "The only explanation for such events of which we are aware is passage through the earth of ton-sized strange-quark nuggets."
Professor Eugene Herrin, a member of the team, said that two strangelets just one-tenth the breadth of a hair would account for the observations. "These things are extremely dense and travel at 40 times the speed of sound straight through the Earth - they'd hardly slow down as they went through."
The good news is that, despite their force, the impact of strangelets on an inhabited area would, probably, be less violent than that of a meteor. Prof Herrin said: "It's very hard to determine what the effect would be. There would probably be a tiny crater but it would be virtually impossible to find anything."
Scientists say that the discovery of strangelets would be a significant breakthrough, solving several long-standing mysteries. These include the nature of "dark matter", which, astronomers say, makes up more than 90 per cent of our galaxy.
Prof Frank Close, a particle physicist at Oxford University, said that confirmation of the events was crucial. "The first step is to see if one can find more examples and eliminate all other interpretations," he said. "If you're looking for very exotic and rare events, you need to be able to tell if it's the real thing or just an artefact."
#1
Even though this happened in 1993, I blame George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Also, I'm sure Haliburton is involved somehow.
Posted by: Tibor ||
08/15/2005 19:53
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Shhh, Tibor. Tonguska was the first Halliburton Strange Schtuff Generator test - or so I'm told. Personally, I rather like strange schtuff, but I haven't encountered any who are quite that fast - or dense.
Just curious, does anyone think he is breathing (or trying to) life back into the rubber-band theory with the dark matter / strangelet density reference? Last I heard, that had been discredited / discarded / kaputed / pooh-de-poohed.
Mohammed al-Massari (58), a Saudi dissident who claims to be an associate of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, has appealed to Muslims across the world to donate money to his bank account in Britain, to enable him to spread the message of hate (against Britons).
The London-based fugitive is seeking the funds on a 24-hour radio station for the purpose. He also runs a website that shows beheadings and suicide bombers in Iraq, The Sun reported today.
According to the paper, Massari wants funds to run his Tajdeed Radio, and has urged Muslims everywhere to listen to its messages.
Boasting of having connections with Osama, Massari had even urged his followers to kill British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the Iraq war.
The paper quoted Labour MP Andrew Dismore demanding the bank account to be frozen, saying: âWhatâs the money really being used for?â
The report further said that Saudi Arabiaâs outgoing ambassador had last week accused the UK of ignoring warnings about al-Massari.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
17:00 ||
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DEAR FRIEND:
I AM HAVE EXCELLENT JIHAD BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!
THE image of an armed, hooded terrorist, speaking with an apparent Australian accent from an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, sent shock waves through Australia last week. The message of the anonymous male, who seemed of Anglo-Celtic background, was unambiguous: "The honourable sons of Islam will not sit down watching you spread your evil and immorality and infidelity to our land."
Little wonder that the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, made the point that "there is a simple principle here and that is that these types of terrorists should not be able to return to the field of battle where they could once again take up arms against Australia or our allies". And little wonder that Kevin Rudd, Labor's foreign affairs spokesman, said he was sickened by the message of the al-Qaeda video.
So far there is little, if any, support for this still unidentified young Australian. Not so with David Hicks, the 30-year-old Australian who was arrested by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan in late 2001, handed to United States forces and transferred to Guantanamo Bay. Hicks's cause has raised considerable sympathy in Australia - especially among lawyers, academics, journalists and the like.
To some extent support for Hicks in Australia arises from opposition to the process of the US military commission which will try him. The Howard Government has not been sympathetic to the accused but it has expressed understandable concern about the delay in the system. However, to some extent, Hicks's cause has been embraced by Australians who dislike George Bush's Administration and who believe that this case is an example of American abuse of power.
One influential commentator has declared publicly that Hicks was a "modest foot soldier for the Taliban"; another has said privately that he has been held long enough in detention.
The charge sheet with respect to the US v David Matthew Hicks has recently been released. The allegations are serious. By way of background, it is alleged Hicks trained with the Kosovo Liberation Army in Albania where he engaged in hostile action. He travelled to Pakistan where he joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist organisation. Then Hicks went to Afghanistan where, it is claimed, he attended al-Qaeda terrorist training camps.
In testimony before a Senate committee on May 28, 2002, the former ASIO director-general, Dennis Richardson, said that "certainly Mr Hicks has received extensive al-Qaeda training". It is understood his training included such areas as weapons firing, landmines, marksmanship, ambush, intelligence, kidnapping techniques, assassination methods and surveillance. If the allegations are correct, this would mean that Hicks is one of the few Muslim converts of Anglo-Celtic background to train to such a high level with al-Qaeda.
The available evidence says Hicks left Afghanistan for Pakistan before al-Qaeda's attack on the US on September 11, 2001. It is alleged he returned to Afghanistan after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. Hicks's supporters say he was fighting with the Taliban, not al-Qaeda, when he was arrested. Even if this is so, the Taliban regime was then providing training bases for al-Qaeda, which had effectively declared war on the US in particular and the West (including Australia) in general.
In other words, Hicks was no naive traveller in Muslim lands. At various times he made choices from which consequences flowed. This is evident from an impartial view of the documentary The President Versus David Hicks (directed by Curtis Levy and Bentley Dean) which aired on SBS TV last year. The message of the film was sympathetic to Hicks's cause, but the evidence in the documentary was damaging, nevertheless.
With Hicks's permission, the documentary quoted from some of his letters to his father, Terry. On February 14, 2000 David Hicks said "I am now officially a Taliban member" who would mix "learning" and "fighting". On August 10, 2000, he said that while fighting with Lashkar-e-Toiba, he "got to fire hundreds of rounds" into Indian-administered Kashmir. He also described himself as a "well-trained and practical soldier", and declared he was prepared for "martyrdom" since "the highest position in heaven" is reserved for those who "go fighting in the way of God against the Friends of Satan".
Hicks described the Taliban regime as "the best in the world" and praised the fact that the (then) leadership ran "the country by strict Islamic law" - including "the death sentence" and "all Islamic punishments".
In his letters to his father, Hicks advocated "an Islamic revolution" and maintained that if the Afghanistan experience was "spread throughout the Muslim world" then "the Western-Jewish domination is finished, so we live under Muslim rule again". The President Versus David Hicks also quoted from a poem written by the South Australian-born Islamic revolutionary in 1998: "Mohammed's food you shall be fed/To disagree, so off with your head."
It is easy to dismiss such words as the ravings of a juvenile foot soldier. But this is unfair to Hicks, who wanted to be taken seriously as a revolutionary, so much so that in letters to his father, Hicks made clear he is opposed to "so-called Muslim countries" which do not follow the precepts of the Taliban or al-Qaeda. All societies, Western and non-Western alike, should take gun-toting revolutionaries at their word.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
16:57 ||
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#1
Next time the US military catches a David Hicks wannabe please, please, just shoot him out of hand so we won't have to hear about him in the Australian media.
I have in mind something like "why did you just shoot that prisoner Corporal?"
"I though he was going for a weapon , Sarge"
"good answer!"
Posted by: Aussie Mike ||
08/15/2005 17:29
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#2
Hicks's cause has raised considerable sympathy in Australia. I'll call this for what it is - Bullshit! The media orchestarted campaign has failed to generate significant sympathy outside the usual Leftist suspects.
The Algerian president's offer of a partial amnesty for Islamist rebels won mixed reviews from local analysts and press commentators on Monday, but most said it seemed unlikely to end the violence afflicting the country.
"... I do not think this will put an end to violence because those who are killing are excluded from the plan," said Mahmoud Belhimer, political science professor at Algiers university, noting the offer had been scaled down from a general amnesty.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, announcing the amnesty on Sunday, said legal proceedings would be dropped against Islamist rebels who had surrendered, and against some still wanted at home and abroad if they handed themselves in.
Militants involved in "massacres, rape and explosions in public areas" would be excluded from the amnesty.
Bouteflika had been expected to offer a full amnesty for all rebels, but scaled down the plan when the main outlawed Islamist movement, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, praised al Qaeda in Iraq for killing two Algerian diplomats last month.
Some analysts criticised the draft for not saying how the authorities would deal with rebels still fighting, and accused Bouteflika of making concessions to armed groups despite vowing to keep fighting them.
"For those who have suffered, Bouteflika's initiative is like an abdication of responsibility, and for the Islamists and their sympathisers, this promised return is a victory," the newspaper Liberte said in an editorial.
"...it is obvious that Algeria will be called one day or the other to bury this painful past, but it is also true that it will not do it at any price," it added.
Bouteflika made clear on Sunday he could go no further in the search for peace, and said a referendum would be held next month on the charter for "peace and national reconciliation".
The plan also bars those behind insurgent violence from political activity, an apparent reference to two leaders of the now-banned FIS, freed in 2003 after 12 years in a military jail.
"The dominant trait of this initiative is the very clear will to distinguish between the FIS political leaders, who will be banned from returning ... and the terrorists who can profit from the forgiveness of the people on the condition of not having taken part in collective massacres. It is a sizeable ambiguity," said Omar Belhouchet, editor of the influential newspaper El Watan.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
16:55 ||
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Defence lawyers of a Moroccan terror suspect accused in Germany of helping the September 11 hijackers have called for his acquittal.
They argue that a conviction after the US refused to allow key al-Qaeda suspects to testify would hand a victory to Osama bin Laden.
Mounir el Motassadeq is charged with more than 3,000 counts of accessory to murder and membership of a terrorist organisation over his links to the Hamburg al-Qaeda cell.
El Motassadeq, 31, acknowledges that he was close to the three suicide hijackers who lived in the north German city, but maintains he did not know about their plans to attack the World Trade Centre in New York in 2001.
Completing the defence's closing statements, attorney Ladislav Anisic criticised the lack of direct testimony from witnesses including Ramzi Binalshibh, a key September 11 suspect in US custody.
US authorities had supplied summaries of interrogations, but they may have been "filtered" or obtained under torture, Anisic said, urging the Hamburg state court to give his client the benefit of the doubt.
"Don't let Osama bin Laden win by neglecting the principles of the state of law," Anisic said, as the year-old trial drew toward a close.
El Motassadeq, a slight man with a full beard, had nothing to add. "I think my attorney has said everything."
Prosecutors last week demanded the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for el Motassadeq, who is accused of helping pay tuition and other bills for members of the cell to allow them to live as students as they plotted the attacks.
He was convicted in 2003 of the same charges, but the verdict was thrown out last year and a retrial ordered after an appeals court ruled el Motassadeq was unfairly denied testimony from al-Qaeda suspects in US custody.
According to statements provided by the US Department of Justice for the retrial, Binalshibh said he and suicide pilots Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah alone comprised the Hamburg cell.
However, prosecutors have argued that Binalshibh, who was detained in Pakistan on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks, probably lied in an attempt to protect co-conspirators.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
16:53 ||
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AL-QAIDA'S Iraqi branch launched an internet campaign threatening Iraqis with death if they take part in the October referendum to approve the country's constitution.
In one of the posters, the words constitution, democracy and elections appear on a road leading to "danger". Along the road lies an enormous cross, broken into pieces.
"Our constitution: the Koran," one of the five posters read. "O Muslims, boycott the elections," was the message on another.
Another directly warns Iraqis to stay away from polling booths:
"Muslim brother, please know that the polling stations of the non-believers will be legitimate targets of the mujahedeen's attacks. Therefore, stay far away for your own safety".
The internet campaign comes a day before Iraq's leaders are due to complete their draft charter of the country's first constitution since Saddam Hussein's ouster.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
16:51 ||
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#1
As soon as we find this bastard, string him up, and let the buzzards and crows munch on his remains...
#5
Zarqawi is an idiot. One of his media guys put that crap together for the website. To give credit to Zarqawi is like giving credit for the internet to Gore. Zarqawi is a pervert of Islam and a poster boy for Satan. he is an idiot and his followers are too.
Syrian national Louai Sakra, captured at Diyarbakir Airport, appears to be an al-Qaeda region head. The key al-Qaeda member, who visits Turkey frequently, was hosted by Habib Akdas, the head of al-Qaeda Turkey organization. The bookkeepers of the financing provided by al-Qaeda through Sakra for November 15-20 attacks were Habip Akdas and Gurcan Bac.
Sakra is reported to have consulted Osama bin Laden himself about the plan to attack Israeli cruise ships in Antalya. Sakra contacted bin Laden three months ago for the last time. Police determined Sakra came to Turkey many times between 1998 and 2000. The region head, reported to be one of the few persons who can speak with al-Qaeda leader Laden, used his right to remain silent at the police headquarters and prosecutor's office. However, police sent the interrogation minutes to the prosecutor's office. He was trained by Iraqi insurgents in bomb fabrication as he took part in bomb attacks. An Istanbul court arrested him after the duration of legal custody expired.
The other Syrian national Hamed Obysi, captured at Antalya was arrested on Wednesday. "I did not aim to hurt Turkish people. I was to target Israeli tourists. The attack would have taken place in the open sea. No Turk would have been hurt," Sakra reportedly said. Officials reported he was responsible for al-Qaeda in Syria, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Turkey. Police indicated Sakra and Obysi, who aimed to attack Israeli cruise ships at Antalya, came to Antalya to activate the sleeping cells for the purpose. Sakra is also reported to have rented an eight-meter long boat anchored at Antalya Port.
Security units have begun to chase after the sleeping cells, which are to be commissioned to realize bombing attacks. According to a high-ranking police official, it is not possible for one to sacrifice himself who directly meets with bin Laden, finances many bloody attacks and is the region leader. The same official claims that $120,000, which was found in Sakra's pocket, had been brought to be given to the families of militants preparing for this activity. This is the reason that the operation is kept secret from the beginning to the end. Turkish police had first decoded the name Sakra after the suicide attacks in Istanbul. When Adnan Ersoz and Mehmet Ince, who are part of the al-Qaeda Turkey structure, had been detained, they gave the name Louai Sakra. Sakra's best known code name among al-Qaeda members is Syrian Alaaddin.
Syrian Sakra is registered as financer and among the wanted persons list in the "Al-Qaeda's Turkey Elements" judicial document continuing at Besiktas the 10th High Criminal Court. Intelligence Office gives the following information about Sakra:
The financer of the terrorist activities is referred as having many faces in the intelligence report. His real name is Luayibi Mohammed Hac Bakr al-Saka, born in Syria in 1973 and lives in Europe. He is one of the top-ranking administrators of al-Qaeda and runs the financial work of the organization. "Lian Ben Mohammed Saka," "Abu Mohammed," "Abu Haya al-Suri," and "Ala al-Din" are some of the code names he uses.
Information about Syrian Louai Sakra can be found in the depositions made by Ersoz and Ince. Intelligence reports have that the $50,000 of $150,000 used in the activities were provided by Syrian Sakra when Aktas could not get sufficient financial support from al-Qaeda in Pakistan.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
16:50 ||
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#1
bin Laden is dead. If he's not dead - he's in Diego Garcia - or wherever they keep his ilk. This man could not refrain from the limelight for so long. Some things are just that simple.
The leader of al-Qaeda's cell in Turkey has promised some sensational details about the international terrorist organization's structure and activities at his trial in Turkey. Syrian-born radical Luia Sakra made this statement when he was being questioned by security officers in Istanbul, the Zaman (Time) newspaper wrote on Monday.
The newspaper said referring to a security officer that al-Qaeda's structure was more like that of a security service than a terrorist organization. The Syrian, whom the Turkish authorities suspect was among those behind the November 2003 terrorist attacks on Istanbul that killed 61 and injured over 600 people, was arrested in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, last week. Simultaneously, a total of 16 people were arrested in the country who are believed to have plotted, under Sakra's command, to blow up a cruise liner in Antalya with Israeli tourists on board. The suspects had prepared about a ton of explosives for the attack.
An Istanbul court ruled Sakra should be taken into custody. He was charged with being involved in terrorist activity and being a member of an illegal organization. He faces life imprisonment if convicted. Sakra said al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not in complete control of the organization, as some of its groups perpetrate terrorist attacks at their own discretion but on the organization's behalf. Sakra said the second bomb attack on London had been one such "unauthorized" act.
Sakra said he had sent dozens of people to carry out terrorist attacks in the United States, Britain, Egypt, Syria, and Algeria. He also confessed he had fought against U.S. troops in Falluja, Iraq, along with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Sakra said they had held 10 Americans in Falluja whom he had killed "with his own hands." He said al-Zarqawi was hiding in northern Iraq.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
08/15/2005
16:48 ||
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Question: when does singing imply usable intelligence versus disinformation? One song bird means little without collaborative song birds (unbeknownest to the song each is singing).
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005 22:22
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Authenticity doubful. Take if for what it is worth
The following is a transcript of a speech believed to have been given by Mr. Chi Haotian, Minster of Defense and vice-chairman of Chinaâs Central Military Commission. Independently verifying the authorship of the speech is not possible. It is worth reading because it is believed to set out the CCPâs strategy for the development of China. The speech argues for the necessity of China using biological warfare to depopulate the United States and prepare it for a future massive Chinese colonization. âThe War Is Not Far from Us and Is the Midwife of the Chinese Centuryâ was published on February 15, 2005 on www.peacehall.com and was published on www.boxun.com on April 23, 2005. This speech and a related speech, âThe War Is Approaching Usâ are analyzed in The Epoch Times original article âThe CCPâs Last-ditch Gamble: Biological and Nuclear War.â
Posted by: john ||
08/15/2005
16:16 ||
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#1
Unsurprisingly, this article is blocked by the Great Firewall of China.
#2
gromky: Unsurprisingly, this article is blocked by the Great Firewall of China.
No surprises here. Epoch Times is available in Chinese - the whole website is probably blocked. If you're interested, I've posted this article in its entireity on my blog.
#5
Therefore, our military battle preparation appears to aim at Taiwan, but in fact is aimed at the United States, and the preparation is far beyond the scope of attacking aircraft carriers or satellites.
Posted by: Matt ||
08/15/2005 17:58
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I have read that Epoch Times is a Falungong publication. (FYI, the Falungong is bitterly opposed to the Communist Party because of the Party's relentless persecution). Is this speech Falungong propaganda? Good question...
#8
Unsurprisingly, blogspot.com is blocked, too :)
However, enabling my proxy in the US lets me view it. It's weird, some sites are blocked totally...and some are blocked but viewable by proxy. When I try to view a totally blocked site (BBC), the Great Firewall terminates all connections and doesn't let you reconnect for 5 minutes or so. I'll have an ssh session to the same box my proxy is on, and that gets reset. Annoying.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 19:49
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#10
After reading this, it's obvious that it's a forgery. China comparing itself favorably to the Nazis? Come on...evidently this is a smear by the F-G.
#11
First I think this is garbage. The Chinese occasionally allow a general or politician to rant in order to get a scare out with deniability.
Second, the timing couldn't be better, assuming they hadn't announced such a thing in a speech. Who would we naturally blame for a bio attack right now? Islam anyone? Who is a matter of congecture but a badly damaged US would certainly start smashing heads together and China, if done properly, could avoid the blame and perhaps even come out as a good guy if the US went overboard in our anger.
That of course is the kind of thing we'd nuke Bejing over though, so its unlikely to be found in a speech.
#13
gromky: After reading this, it's obvious that it's a forgery. China comparing itself favorably to the Nazis? Come on...evidently this is a smear by the F-G.
The Chinese admire Germany. They don't view the Holocaust as a unique event - which, of course, it isn't - there are entire ethnic groups that have been wiped out in one fashion or another - who today knows of a single living Amalekite, Hittite or Sogdian?* Gromky is proceeding from the assumption that the Chinese weltanschaaung (concept of the world) is pretty much like the Western view of the world. It is not. The Chinese do not view the history of the world as the history of progress - they see it as essentially being cyclical. There are technological improvements, but each nation state is essentially amoral and primarily concerned with its welfare and continued survival - if necessary, at the expense of its rival states. Chinese, including Hong Kong Chinese, view the Holocaust as just another massacre in the long history of such things. What makes the Chinese angry about the Nanjing massacre is not that it was unique - Chinese have perpetrated large-scale massacres on others in the past - it is that the Japanese had the temerity to do it to the Chinese.
Again - the Chinese admire the Nazis not because they worship evil and think the Nazis are a shining example of evil - they admire them because they think the Nazis achieved a lot militarily in a short period of time, against significant odds, and did what they had to do to wipe out the opposition, much like the ancient sovereigns of just about every state in the world. The Chinese view is a lot like that of Thucydides - the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.
* Hitler wasn't unique in wiping out what he viewed as his mortal enemies - the Japanese shogun tortured to death every last Christian on Japanese soil centuries ago and Chinese mobs slaughtered tens of thousands of Chinese Christians during the Boxer Rebellion. In the past massacres have been carried out for one primary reason - to guard against the possibility of revolt from a given quarter. Targeted massacres don't end all threats, but they do end specific ones. After all the ancient Amalekites were slaughtered, the nation of Israel no longer had to deal any threat from that quarter. After the Kingdom of Zhao was killed off to the last man, woman and child, the first ruler of a unified China (Qin Kingdom) no longer had to deal any threats from that direction.
#14
ZF: Chinese, including Hong Kong Chinese, view the Holocaust as just another massacre in the long history of such things.
This is a reference to a situation where a clothing chain in Hong Kong used Nazi imagery in its interior decor and on its clothing, provoking a horrified response from Westerners, but zero objections from Hongkongers. Hongkongers were unperturbed, because they viewed the Holocaust as just another in a long line of such events.
#15
In another forum, a commenter says the following about the Chinese admiration for things German:
I would like to mention intense admiration for Hitler and the Nazis among Chinese youth (in the forums). There is even a term for them: Ha(1) De(2) Pai(4), or "Those who worship/admire Germany/German things"
And those Chinese who admire Japan, and there are some of them, they are called Ha(1) Ri(4) Pai(4), or "Those who worship/admire Japan/Japanese things"
But the German-worshipper are far more popular than the Japan-worshippers, for obvious reasons. And in general, youths who are nationalist toward China also tend to admire German militarism, and the military expansion/rearmament of the 1930s defying the Versailles Treaty, etc. The fact that Nazis are ideologically opposed to communism doesn't seem to bother them much.... A fact that I find very comical.
For example, someone posted a description of how a single German machinegunner killed nearly 2000 Americans during D-Day, and was decorated with the Iron (or Knight) Cross. Of course, most of the posts on Chinese forums are of very dubious origin, since the posters never ever give the source of their info. A lot of things are just rumors or fabrications too eagerly taken for real by people too eager to believe them. And based on what I read of D-Day, I think this machinegunner story is made up too, since 2000 is close to the total American death figure at Omaha on D-Day, and can't be dealt by a single German.
Anyway, the post was greeted with much positive response of how Americans deserved to die, and how heroic the Germans are, and even some "Heil Hitler". Hitler is sometimes not called by his Chinese transliteration "Xi(1) Te(4) Le(4)", but lovingly referred to as "The Fuhrer"( Yuan(2) Shou(3)) A few mentioned that if the Germany and Axis won the war, it would have meant the destruction of China, but those voices of reason were drowned out..... *sigh*
I do not want to give a misleading picture that nationalist Chinese youth are rampant Neo-Nazis. It's not quite so. They just happen to admire the German militarism, and Hitler's misguiding bravado. As for real Nazi politics, I think they are mostly ignorant of it.
I can dig up the link to that post if any of you want to see it.
I disagree with this commentator that the Chinese admirers of Nazi Germany don't know about the Holocaust. These facts are in the public domain. They know about it but feel that one massacre in a long roster of massacres cannot merit but a shrug. Who today remembers the 70,000-strong Yunnanese Muslim ruling class massacred by the Chinese over 100 years ago?
#16
Note that the above commenter is quoting (and translating) from Chinese language forums. You can also get the flavor of some of these postings in English by checking out the New York Times's online forums on China. These are not China's lower classes - they are its elite.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A man who once shouted "cuckoo" and then dropped his pants to moon a jury has been convicted of attacking his girlfriend with a boxcutter. Cornell Jackson, 31, could face up to 33 years in prison when sentenced Tuesday. That's the penalty he received after two earlier trials in which convictions were reversed because he had not received formal competency hearings. Jackson's lawyers argued he was legally insane when, in a jealous rage over perceived attention that Kisha Smith had paid to another man, he slashed her on Jan. 21 and 22, 2000. The second attack came after she returned home from getting her initial wound stitched at a hospital. Jackson testified that he battles demons regularly with "Jesus and Michael Archangel." I battle trolls regularly with "the Rantburg regulars."
He refused to attend his first trial and was removed from his second in 2003 after he bared his buttocks. Jackson was ruled competent in April, and a jury convicted him Friday of aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and armed burglary.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/15/2005 19:32
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I know how this guy feels, I have a constant battle raging inside me with a demon who wants me to throw shit on Babs Boxer. So far I have kept him in check, but my resolve is weakening.
Posted by: john ||
08/15/2005
16:00 ||
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#1
Since the NPT isn't worth the paper it was written and signed on we need to make deals like this with responsible govts. Besides, when was the last time you heard of a Hindu suicide bomber?
I am the one that posted the link. Originally he had 'your servant, Osama Bin Laden' at least three times. The anti-war reverand has since changed it to 'your child'.
That drew a lot of comments, almost double what he normally sees at his blog, and word was traveling fast across the blogosphere. So he changed it as a CYA move.
His son is a volunteer in the military supporting the WOT effort, including Iraq, yet the good minister is anti-war and like other people on the left with questionable integrity, he changed his post to try to stop a fire storm.
KARACHI - Pakistani police said on Monday four suspected Islamic militants arrested last week belong to the youth wing of an opposition Islamic party but have no links with the Al Qaeda network.
That'd be Islami Jamiat Talaba, the strutting bullyboys who've been infesting good old P.U.
The four were arrested in the southern city of Karachi on Saturday with pistols and ammunition. Police said they belonged to a group of 22 militants who were planning attacks in the city. The four belong to the youth wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, Karachi police chief Tariq Jameel told a news conference.
Think Hilter Youth, with turbans
âDuring interrogation they revealed they belonged to this party and confirmed they had plans to create terror in the city,â he said. âInitial investigations show no links of this group with Al Qaeda. At the moment we have no evidence they have got terrorist training outside Pakistan,â he said.
Home schooled, eh?
The Jamaat-e-Islami is a main member of an alliance of conservative religious parties known as the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, which opposes President Pervez Musharrafâs liberal policy of âenlightened moderationâ. In an Independence Day speech on Sunday, Musharraf urged the country to reject conservative religious parties in local government elections due to begin on Aug. 18, saying they were blocking the countryâs progress. A spokesman for Jamaat-e-Islami said the four were party workers but denied that they had anything to do with anti-state activities.
"Yeah! Those grenades were for self-defense..."
âTheyâre creating fake cases against our workers because they want to keep us out of the local government elections,â said Sarfaraz Ahmed, a spokesman for the party in Karachi. Jameel said police were continuing their investigation of the four suspects who had been remanded in custody until Aug 21. Police were also hunting other members of their gang, he said.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
15:56 ||
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Pakistani police link militants to Islamic party ...
Natalee Holoway is missing ... Bears shit in the woods ... fire will burn you ... the sun rises ...
#2
Jamaat-i-Islami has never been anything but a terrorist entity, dedicated to the advancement of Islamofascism. Musharaf knows that, yet the political party - Pakistan Muslim League (Qaid-i-Azam; Great Leader; Jinnah) - runs Balochistan Province in league with the JI front group, Muttahida-Majlis-i-Amal. Musharaf has always been a JI sympathiser, and only uses US subsidies to advance joint PML-Q/JI goals. The rare al-Qaeda arrests made in the Pakistan terrorist entity, are always executed after extraordinary delays and in context of US co-operation concerns. US relations with the Pak terrorists encourage both Wahabist and Khomenist terrorism, and that is why US troops are taking heat from both the South and West of Afghanistan. A counter-terror war cannot be won if terrorists are indulged, and Pak Wahabis are taking license from the US indulgence. Screw the democratic choices that those animals might make. Either they pacify on our terms, or we turn them into charcoal. Do not pretend that we are winning this war.
Posted by: Vlad the Muslim Impaler ||
08/15/2005 21:29
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Now, where would the WoT be with ex-pert Richard Clarke? Why, we wouldn't have anyone to joke about. Obviously, ABC News knows what they are doing when they hired this clown as their terrorism ex-pert.
Intelligence officials are studying the most recent tape by al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, for hidden clues.
Sitting in front of a gently rippling cloth screen in bright sunlight, an AK-47 in the background, Zawahiri promised more attacks so bloody they "will make you forget the horrors of Vietnam." He added that Americans and Britons "will not be safe until you withdraw from our land, stop stealing our oil and stop supporting the corrupt rulers there."
Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterror chief who is now an ABC News consultant, said the setup of Zawahiri's latest video contains possible hidden messages.
For one thing, Zawahiri wore a black turban, rather than the white one worn in his prior videos since 9/11. To Sunni Muslims, Clarke said, a black turban means "somebody is making jihad," or holy war.
"This is a very carefully staged propaganda video, in which things like this are supposed to have meaning," Clarke told Diane Sawyer on ABC News' "Good Morning America." "He's trying to align himself, wherever he was, with the people fighting in Iraq."
No, you don't say, Richard, tell us more.....
The setting in the outdoors, with the sun shining and a breeze blowing, also may have been meant to send a message. "What he's saying is 'I'm not stuck in a cave,' " Clarke said. "These people listen to what we say about them. When we say that they are powerless, they are stuck in a cave somewhere in Afghanistan, they want to have a way to come back and say no they're not. So here he is, outside in the light of day, dressed for war ⊠when, in fact, he probably is stuck in a cave."
I am so confused, Richard, you mean he is fooling everyone?Pay no attention to that darkened cave behind the curtain.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005
15:52 ||
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#1
For one thing, Zawahiri wore a black turban, rather than the white one worn in his prior videos since 9/11.
...and it's not even Labor Day yet...
I dunno, Dick. Maybe black showcases his purty mouth?
#2
Gently rippling cloth screen. That sounds like a sheet hanging out to dry.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 16:22
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#3
Is there any doubt that this guy never had and will never have a clue? And Clarke was a White House counterterror chief under the Clinton regime, which explains why we are in the mess we are in today. I think Bush demoted him to Compter tech guy or something like that.
It's worse than than that! He wanted to get the job as Cyber Security Chief. George Bush wouldn't give it to him, so he resigned. He wanted it because he was certain the first attack by Al Qaeda on US soil woild be a computer virus.
As we can see from Sept 11, Richard Clark had bin Laden all figured out.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
08/15/2005 17:03
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LOL Al, he must have missed the meeting! The guys a tool, a wonk, a whack job, and a danger to the U.S.
ISLAMABAD - Hours after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed ultraconservative Ali Larijani as the countryâs new chief nuclear negotiator, Pakistan backed on Monday Iranâs right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. âTeheran has the legitimate right as signatory to the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to use the nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,â Foreign Ministry spokesman Naeem Khan told reporters in Islamabad.
And who would know more about nuclear proliferation than a Pakistani named Khan?
President Ahmadinejad appointed Monday Ali Larijani as head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to take âcorrect decisions which secure both the interests and legal rights of the nationâ.
Khan ruled out any mediation between Iran and the European Union (E.U) to resolve the continued stand-off over Teheranâs nuclear programme, saying one of the two parties would have to formally approach Islamabad to that end. âThe talks are going on to encourage both the parties to find a peaceful settlement of the crisis,â he said. Khan said that use of force against Iran must be avoided to ensure regional stability, adding âWe cannot afford another conflict or a war in the region.â
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
15:01 ||
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Hours after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed ultraconservative Ali Larijani as the countryâs new chief nuclear negotiator, Pakistan backed on Monday Iranâs right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Proof please, that their usage is to be "for peaceful purposes".
In news just, Saudi Arabia's regular and special security forces have sealed off the Al-Suwaidy neighborhood in Riyadh. All entrances and exits of the area have been closed. Sources inside say it appears that Sulul security apparatus are bracing to storm a house or a building in the area for what is widely believed to be a high value target, most likely one of those on the Kingdoms new âmost wanted listâ.
Saudis have them "surrounded", escape predicted.
News of the operation came approximately 50 minutes ago and details as of yet are sketchy. This is a developing story, More news to come as it is available.
And who better to get news from cornered terrorists than Jihad Unspun?
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
14:50 ||
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#1
I sure hope JUS didn't release this before the HVT was surrounded.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 15:39
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From a blog, but like he says, this will never make the news
Iâve spent all this last week attending the services and funerals of the six Marines killed in Iraq on August 1st. I knew two of them well, LCpl. Montgomery and LCpl. Deyarmin. The rest I did not know, but they are brothers just the same. The families seem to be holding up well considering the circumstances. I was in Weapons Company, 3/25 for five years before being commissioned, and Iâm still very close with those Marines.
The only point of light this week has been the news straight from the Marines over there that the insurgents who ambushed the six snipers are all dead.
We take care of our own, and 3/25 hunted them down and killed them. Hopefully theyâre all occupying their own special rooms in the Ass F***g wing of Hell right now. But the media doesnât care to inform anyone of this victory. Only the loss.
You might want to read all of it .. first hand reporting
A TIME investigation reveals the Tehran regime's strategy to gain influence in Iraq--and why U.S. troops may now face greater dangers as a result
By MICHAEL WARE/BAGHDAD
The U.S. Military's new nemesis in Iraq is named Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani, and he is not a Baathist or a member of al-Qaeda. He is working for Iran. According to a U.S. military-intelligence document obtained by TIME, al-Sheibani heads a network of insurgents created by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps with the express purpose of committing violence against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. Over the past eight months, his group has introduced a new breed of roadside bomb more lethal than any seen before; based on a design from the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hizballah, the weapon employs "shaped" explosive charges that can punch through a battle tank's armor like a fist through the wall. According to the document, the U.S. believes al-Sheibani's team consists of 280 members, divided into 17 bombmaking teams and death squads. The U.S. believes they train in Lebanon, in Baghdad's predominantly Shi'ite Sadr City district and "in another country" and have detonated at least 37 bombs against U.S. forces this year in Baghdad alone.
Since the start of the insurgency in Iraq, the most persistent danger to U.S. troops has come from the Sunni Arab insurgents and terrorists who roam the center and west of the country. But some U.S. officials are worried about a potentially greater challenge to order in Iraq and U.S. interests there: the growing influence of Iran. With an elected Shi'ite-dominated government in place in Baghdad and the U.S. preoccupied with quelling the Sunni-led insurgency, the Iranian regime has deepened its imprint on the political and social fabric of Iraq, buying influence in the new Iraqi government, running intelligence-gathering networks and funneling money and guns to Shi'ite militant groups--all with the aim of fostering a Shi'ite-run state friendly to Iran. In parts of southern Iraq, fundamentalist Shi'ite militias--some of them funded and armed by Iran--have imposed restrictions on the daily lives of Iraqis, banning alcohol and curbing the rights of women. Iraq's Shi'ite leaders, including Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, have tried to forge a strategic alliance with Tehran, even seeking to have Iranians recognized as a minority group under Iraq's proposed constitution. "We have to think anything we tell or share with the Iraqi government ends up in Tehran," says a Western diplomat.
Perhaps most troubling are signs that the rising influence of Iran--a country with which Iraq waged an eight-year war and whose brand of theocracy most Iraqis reject--is exacerbating sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shi'ites, pulling Iraq closer to all-out civil war. And while top intelligence officials have sought to play down any state-sponsored role by Tehran's regime in directing violence against the coalition, the emergence of al-Sheibani has cast greater suspicion on Iran. Coalition sources told TIME that it was one of al-Sheibani's devices that killed three British soldiers in Amarah last month. "One suspects this would have to have a higher degree of approval [in Tehran]," says a senior U.S. military official in Baghdad. The official says the U.S. believes that Iran has brokered a partnership between Iraqi Shi'ite militants and Hizballah and facilitated the import of sophisticated weapons that are killing and wounding U.S. and British troops. "It is true that weapons clearly, unambiguously, from Iran have been found in Iraq," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last week.
How real is the threat? A TIME investigation, based on documents smuggled out of Iran and dozens of interviews with U.S., British and Iraqi intelligence officials, as well as an Iranian agent, armed dissidents and Iraqi militia and political allies, reveals an Iranian plan for gaining influence in Iraq that began before the U.S. invaded. In their scope and ambition, Iran's activities rival those of the U.S. and its allies, especially in the south. There is a gnawing worry within some intelligence circles that the failure to counter Iranian influence may come back to haunt the U.S. and its allies, if Shi'ite factions with heavy Iranian backing eventually come to power and provoke the Sunnis to revolt. Says a British military intelligence officer, about the relative inattention paid to Iranian meddling: "It's as though we are sleepwalking."
The Iranian penetration of Iraq was a long time in planning. On Sept. 9, 2002, with U.S. bases being readied in Kuwait, Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei summoned his war council in Tehran. According to Iranian sources, the Supreme National Security Council concluded, "It is necessary to adopt an active policy in order to prevent long-term and short-term dangers to Iran." Iran's security services had supported the armed wings of several Iraqi groups they had sheltered in Iran from Saddam. Iranian intelligence sources say that the various groups were organized under the command of Brigadier General Qassim Sullaimani, an adviser to Khamenei on both Afghanistan and Iraq and a top officer in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Before the March 2003 invasion, military sources say, elements of up to 46 Iranian infantry and missile brigades moved to buttress the border. Positioned among them were units of the Badr Corps, formed in the 1980s as the armed wing of the Iraqi Shi'ite group known by its acronym SCIRI, now the most powerful party in Iraq. Divided into northern, central and southern axes, Badr's mission was to pour into Iraq in the chaos of the invasion to seize towns and government offices, filling the vacuum left by the collapse of Saddam's regime. As many as 12,000 armed men, along with Iranian intelligence officers, swarmed into Iraq. TIME has obtained copies of what U.S. and British military intelligence say appears to be Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence reports sent in April 2003. One, dated April 10 and marked CONFIDENTIAL, logs U.S. troops backed by armor moving through the city of Kut. But, it asserts, "we are in control of the city." Another, with the same date, from a unit code-named 1546, claims "forces attached to us" had control of the city of Amarah and had occupied Baath Party properties. A 2004 British army inquiry noted that the Badr organization and another militia were so powerful in Amarah, "it quickly became clear that the coalition needed to work with them to ensure a secure environment in the province."
For many Iraqis in the south, the exile militia groups brought with them forbidding religious strictures. "These guys with beards and Kalashnikovs showed up saying they'd come to protect the campus," says a student leader at a Basra university. "The problem is, they never left." Militants frequently "investigate" youths accused of un-Islamic behavior, such as couples holding hands or girls wearing makeup. "They're watching us, and they're the ones who control the streets, while the police, who are with them, stand by," says a student leader who did not wish to be identified. "From the beginning, the Islamic parties filled the void," says a police lieutenant colonel working closely with British forces. "They still hold the real power. The rank and file all belong to the parties. Everyone does. You can't do anything without them."
Military officials say they believe Iranian-funded militias helped organize a mob attack in the southern township of Majarr al-Kabir on June 24, 2003, that resulted in the execution of six British military-police officers. According to a classified British military-intelligence document, a local militia leader is "implicated in the murder of the 6 RMP [Royal Military Police]." The man heads a cell of the Mujahedin for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (MIRI), a paramilitary outfit coordinated out of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's base in Ahvaz, Iran. Although U.S. and British officers think it unlikely the soldiers were killed on orders from Revolutionary Guard officers, they agree that the slayings fit within the Iranian generals' broad guidelines to bog coalition forces down in sporadic hit-and-run attacks.
The Iranian program is as impressive as it is comprehensive, competing with and sometimes bettering the coalition's endeavors. Businesses, front companies, religious groups, NGOs and aid for schools and universities are all part of the mix. Just as Washington backs Iraqi news outlets like al-Hurra television station, Tehran has funded broadcast and print outlets in Iraq. A 2003 Supreme National Security Council memo, smuggled out of Iran, suggests even the Iranian Red Crescent society, akin to the Red Cross, has coordinated its activities through the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The memo instructs officials that "the immediate needs of the Iraqi people should be determined" by the Guard's al-Quds Force.
More sinister are signs of death squads charged with eliminating potential opponents and former Baathists. U.S. intelligence sources confirm that early targets included former members of the Iran section of Saddam's intelligence services. In southern cities, Thar-Allah (Vengeance of God) is one of a number of militant groups suspected of assassinations. U.S. commanders in Baghdad and in eastern provinces say similar cells operate in their sectors. The chief of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, General Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahwani, has publicly accused Iranian-backed cells of hunting down and killing his officers. In October he blamed agents in Iran's Baghdad embassy of coordinating assassinations of up to 18 of his people, claiming that raids on three safe houses uncovered a trove of documents linking the agents to funds funneled to the Badr Corps for the purposes of "physical liquidation."
A former Iraqi official and member of Saddam's armored corps, who identifies himself as Abu Hassan, told TIME last summer that he was recruited by an Iranian intelligence agent in 2004 to compile the names and addresses of Ministry of Interior officials in close contact with American military officers and liaisons. Abu Hassan's Iranian handler wanted to know "who the Americans trusted and where they were" and pestered him to find out if Abu Hassan, using his membership in the Iraqi National Accord political party, could get someone inside the office of then Prime Minister Iyad Allawi without being searched. (Allawi has told TIME he believes Iranian agents plotted to assassinate him.) And the handler also demanded information on U.S. troop concentrations in a particular area of Baghdad and details of U.S. weaponry, armor, routes and reaction times. After revealing his conversations to U.S. and Iraqi authorities, Abu Hassan disappeared; earlier this year, one of his Iraqi superiors was convicted of espionage.
Intelligence agencies say Tehran still funds various political parties in Iraq. Documents from Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps files obtained by TIME include voluminous pay records from August 2004 that appear to indicate that Iran was paying the salaries of at least 11,740 members of the Badr Corps. British and U.S. military intelligence suspect those salaries are still being paid, although Badr leader Hadi al-Amri denies that. "I've told the American officers to bring us the evidence that we have a deal with Iran, and we will be ready, but they say they don't have any," he says.
What remains murky is the extent to which Iran is encouraging its proxies to stage attacks against the U.S.-led coalition. Military intelligence officers describe their Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps counterparts' strategy as one of using "nonattributable attacks" by proxy forces to maximize deniability. What's uncertain, says a senior U.S. officer, is what factions within Tehran's splintered security apparatus are behind the strategy and how much the top leaders have endorsed it. Intelligence sources claim that Brigadier General Sullaimani ordained in a meeting of his militia proxies in the spring of last year that "any move that would wear out the U.S. forces in Iraq should be done. Every possible means should be used to keep the U.S. forces engaged in Iraq." Secret British military-intelligence documents show that British forces are tracking several paramilitary outfits in Southern Iraq that are backed by the Revolutionary Guard. Coalition and Iraqi intelligence agencies track Iranian officers' visits to Iraq on inspection tours akin to those of their American counterparts. "We know they come, but often not until after they've left," says a British intelligence officer.
Shi'ite political parties do not dispute that the visits occur. And a steady flow of weapons continues to arrive from Iran through the porous southern border. "They use the legal checkpoints to move personnel, and the weapons travel through the marshes and areas to our north," says a British officer in Basra. Top diplomats and intelligence officials know that some Iranian officers are providing assistance to Shi'ite insurgents, but it's dwarfed by the amount of money and materiel flowing in from Iraq's Arab neighbors to Sunni insurgents.
Western diplomats say that so far, the ayatullahs appear to be acting defensively rather than offensively. An encouraging sign is that even Shi'ite beneficiaries of Tehran exhibit strains of Iraqi and Arab nationalism; and many have strong familial and tribal ties with the Sunnis. "We are sons of Iraq. The circumstances that forced me to leave did not change my identity," says Badr leader al-Amri. He's proud of his cooperation with the Revolutionary Guard to battle Saddam but says it extended only "to the limit of our interests." An informed Western observer thinks that while those groups maintain a "shared world view" with Tehran, much as Brits and Americans share each other's, they are now trying to balance their interests with those of their backers and are eager to wield power in Baghdad in their own right. "I think you'll never break a lifelong relationship," says the senior U.S. military officer, "but as time goes by, as they become politicians fighting local issues, they will change."
That may be true. But Iran shows every sign of upping the ante in Iraq, which may ultimately force the U.S. to search out new allies in Iraq--including some of the same elements it has been trying to subdue for almost 2ÃÂœ years--who can counter the mullahs' encroachment. The Western diplomat acknowledges that Iran's seemingly manageable activities could still escalate into a bigger crisis. "We've dealt with governments allied to our enemies many times in the past," he says. "The rub, however, is, Could it affect [counterinsurgency efforts]? To that I say, 'It hasn't happened yet, but it could.'" The war in Iraq could get a whole lot messier if it does.
Posted by: The Angry Fliegerabwehrkanonen ||
08/15/2005
14:11 ||
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Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005
14:11 ||
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#1
remember "not gonna pay her taxes"? Not difficult to do when you lost your job at Napa County [Calif.] Health and Human Services because of all her absences
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 14:33
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#2
Don't know much about divorce/community property rules, but I'm guessing he's freezing his half so the little tool can't give it away. He'll pay taxes on his half - what she does with her half is her problem. Smart move.
#3
How does a county employee use up the sick bank enough to get canned?
I know fed workers with years "in the bank", incentive just for showing up for work.
#8
Noting that Bush has referred to the war as a "noble" pursuit, Sheehan told Reuters, "If it's such a noble cause, why aren't his daughters over there?"
She really has no clue. Nobody forced her son to join the army. The president likewise can't force his daughters to join. Watta maroon. I think the grief over her son's death has consumed her. She is not rational. I do pity her.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/15/2005 15:50
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#13
DB, exactly. The press are going to look even sleazier than usual before this is over. This woman should be allowed to grieve in private and not be taken advantage of by electronic voyeurs.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 16:14
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#14
voyeurs? Try enablers
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 16:19
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#15
Ms. Sheehan should be required to grieve in private, even though she prefers to spew on all within reach of her microphone. In my not at all humble opinion, she is not deranged by grief over her son, but over Republican control of her government. She refuses to respect the choices her adult son made, and the wishes of all her family that she desist from acting out in this manner. She long ago drove away her son, and now she has driven away her husband. Let her live with the consequences of her choices -- she gets no pity from me.
#17
This thought just occured to me, she is obviously a Liberal Lefty and hates the military. I suppose it's possible she was angry with her son for joining the Army in the first place and now is even angrier with him for getting killed so she is taking it out on the President. Just a thought.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/15/2005 19:16
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#18
He enlisted.
He re-enlisted specifically to go to Iraq.
Must have driven that controlling spider of a mother crazy.
Posted by: also a mom ||
08/15/2005 20:22
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{Cindy is getting a lot of Famous Scoundrels to endorse her: KOs, Michael Moore, now David Duke. I bet Osama is getting his PR dept ready to draw up his endorsement too]
#3
That's awesome Dean, Cindy, Farrakahn, Naral, Pelosi, Durban, Boxer, David Duke, Ward Churchill, preaching love and tollerance from the same page. The new Aryan Brotherhood. Hey, dems "diversity" means Jewish people too. I know - I know the Joos gave Teddy K. the car keys..
No wonder they tried to focus on Plame/Wilson..
#4
You can see why Cindy is the perfect poster-child for the left. She looks like your typical lefty. No longer young and hip - they've traded that image for a mirror image of themselves - old and looney.
The breasts of Britain's women have grown by a cup-size in the past decade and could be changing the shape of the female spine, according to new research. An average bra size of 34B 10 years ago has increased to a 36C across this country and Australasia, the bra manufacturer Bendon has discovered. The result was supported by retailer Marks & Spencer, but a spokesman said it had only noticed the change in the past five years.
We've been watching with growing interest...
Experts suggested that the increase was due in part to the popularity of breast enhancement, and fitted into a pattern of women gradually getting bigger.
Global warming?
Results from the most recent National Sizing Survey, released last year, revealed that women's busts and hips had grown by 1Âœins since 1951. Waists had also grown by 6Âœins. But details about bra size had been kept confidential by retailers.
Victoria's Top Secret
Bendon also found that more than half of women were wearing ill-fitting bras, despite publicised information that this caused back pain and other problems. Fiona Walsh, an osteopath on the General Osteopathic Council, said: "Breasts are growing, not only as a result of women getting bigger generally, but across the board."
She said that bigger breasts could lead to a flattening of the upper spine. However, the right bra could alleviate back and neck pain.
We at Rantburg promise to look into this developing issue. At least when our wives aren't looking
Posted by: The Angry Fliegerabwehrkanonen ||
08/15/2005
13:59 ||
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#1
Does anyone else see the trouble here ?
Busts and hips increased by 1.5" but waists increased by 6.5". Thats over four times as much.
Now, this may just be me, but growth in regions A and C, welcome as they are, tend to be diminished in their aesthetic value by growth of area B.
#2
I believe the relevant unit of measurement is the British Standard Handful.
Posted by: Matt ||
08/15/2005 16:47
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#3
Let's hope the size of the average British male's hand is growing in proportion to, uh, that which it is intended to have a handful of. (Does that make sense?)
Posted by: Jonathan ||
08/15/2005 17:04
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#4
In 1951 women wore girdles. Now we don't, thank goodness! But the result in measured girth for outerwear is obvious.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005 22:29
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#9
I have read that the same pattern is occurring in the US. Speculation was that part of the increased bust size was related to general increased obesity, but that the 'disproportionate' increase in bust size might be related to the use of hormones in animal feed, transferred to people through meat, milk, eggs, etc.
#2
At first I had a lot of sympathy for this lady because losing one of your children under any circumstances is a terrible burden. But with each passing sheenanigan that feeling is rapidly waning. On an earlier thread we learned that Patrick is divorcong her. Section 6a of his petition has two boxes to mark for the basis of the request for dissolution of the marriage. Box one is checked for "irreconcilable differences". Maybe he should have checked the second box
"incurable insanity" instead.
From NYTimes -- Registration required, so here's the article.... from Drudge
Editors Ponder How to Present a Broad Picture of Iraq
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Rosemary Goudreau, the editorial page editor of The Tampa Tribune, has received the same e-mail message a dozen times over the last year.
"Did you know that 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq?" the anonymous polemic asks, in part. "Did you know that 3,100 schools have been renovated?"
"Of course we didn't know!" the message concludes. "Our media doesn't tell us!"
Ms. Goudreau's newspaper, like most dailies in America, relies largely on The Associated Press for its coverage of the Iraq war. So she finally forwarded the e-mail message to Mike Silverman, managing editor of The A.P., asking if there was a way to check these assertions and to put them into context. Like many other journalists, Mr. Silverman had also received a copy of the message.
Ms. Goudreau's query prompted an unusual discussion last month in New York at a regular meeting of editors whose newspapers are members of The Associated Press. Some editors expressed concern that a kind of bunker mentality was preventing reporters in Iraq from getting out and explaining the bigger picture beyond the daily death tolls.
"The bottom-line question was, people wanted to know if we're making progress in Iraq," Ms. Goudreau said, and the A.P. articles were not helping to answer that question.
"It was uncomfortable questioning The A.P., knowing that Iraq is such a dangerous place," she said. "But there's a perception that we're not telling the whole story."
Mr. Silverman said in an interview that he was aware of that perception. "Other editors said they get calls from readers who are hearing stories from returning troops of the good things they have accomplished while there, and readers find that at odds with the generally gloomy portrayal in the papers of what's going on in Iraq," he said.
Mr. Silverman said the editors were asking for help in making sense of the situation. "I was glad to have that discussion with the editors because they have to deal with the perception that the media is emphasizing the negative," he said.
"We're there to report the good and the bad and we try to give due weight to everything going on," he said. "It is unfortunate that the explosions and shootings and fatalities and injuries on some days seem to dominate the news."
Suki Dardarian, deputy managing editor of The Seattle Times and vice president of the board of the Associated Press Managing Editors, said that the discussion was "a pretty healthy one."
"One of the things the editors felt was that as much context as you can bring, the better," Ms. Dardarian said. "They wanted them to get beyond the breaking news to 'What does this mean?' "
She also said that as Mr. Silverman and Kathleen Carroll, The A.P.'s executive editor, responded to the concerns, the editors realized that some questions were impossible to answer. For example, she said, the editors understood that it was much easier to add up the number of dead than to determine how many hospitals received power on a particular day or how many schools were built.
Mr. Silverman said the wire service was covering Iraq "as accurately as we can" while "also trying to keep our people out of harm's way."
"The main obstacle we face," he said, "is the severe limitation on our movement and our ability to get out and report. It's very confining for our staff to go into Baghdad and have to spend most of their time on the fifth floor of the Palestine Hotel," which is home to most of the press corps. The hotel was struck by a tank shell in 2003, killing two journalists.
Iraq remains the most dangerous place in the world to work as a journalist, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. At least 13 media workers have been killed in Iraq so far this year, bringing the total to 50 since the war began in 2003.
"Postwar Iraq is fraught with risks for reporters: Banditry, gunfire and bombings are common," the committee's Web site says. "Insurgents have added a new threat by systematically targeting foreigners, including journalists, and Iraqis who work for them."
Mr. Silverman said The A.P. had already decided before the meeting that it would have Robert H. Reid, an A.P. correspondent at large who has reported frequently from Iraq, write an overview every 10 days.
Mr. Silverman also said the wire service would make more effort to flag articles that look beyond the breaking news. As it turned out, he said, most of the information in the anonymous e-mail message had been reported by The A.P., but the details had been buried in articles or the articles had been overlooked.
Before the meeting, The A.P. collected three articles by reporters for other news organizations who were embedded with American troops and sent them out over the wire to provide "more voice." Mr. Silverman said he wanted to do more of that but the opportunities were limited because there are only three dozen embedded journalists now, compared with 700 when the war began more than two years ago.
Ms. Goudreau, for one, found the discussion useful. By the end, she said, editors were acknowledging that even in their own hometowns, "we're more likely to focus on people who are killed than on the positive news out of a school."
#1
They wanted them to get beyond the breaking news to 'What does this mean?' "
Is this guy brain damaged or what? Hey Stupid! We don't want you to tell us what it means, we want your reporters to report something other than readily available accident stats.
Pity the poor reporters and editors. They've come to view themselves as purveyors of wisdom - the keepers of the truth which only they can properly explain to their unwashed patrons.
Must be a bummer to realize that not only do your patrons not give a darn what you think but if you don't provide them with what THEY want, you aren't going to have a job much longer. Now shut up and sing report.
#2
I know a quick, painless, inexpensive and effective way of improving the quality of their reporting 10,000%. Simply accredit military personnel as journalists. In multiple units and at multiple levels of command there are already approved Public Information Officers whose *function* it is to prepare and provide press releases. But, on top of that, there are now around 200 soldiers who act as "stringers" with their blogs. If you put the two together, you not only get "play-by-play", you also get "color", all wrapped together in about a ream of editable copy a day. It has already been pre-approved for publication, so there isn't any tactical information in there. The best part, from the point of view of the wire services, would be that while a goodly amount of it is free, any nominal payments for "stringer" material could be made to non-profit organizations on behalf of the bloggers. Say the "widows and orphans" funds, so there is no "conflict of interest". Instantly, the credibility of the media skyrockets; the quality of their news attracts readers; and professional journalists on location get real muscle and respect, based on all the "amateurs" "working" for them. They can stay in the Green Zone, having reliable eyes and ears all over the country.
#4
"The main obstacle we face," he said, "is the severe limitation on our movement and our ability to get out and report. It's very confining for our staff to go into Baghdad and have to spend most of their time on the fifth floor of the Palestine Hotel," which is home to most of the press corps.
Excepting Michael Yon and others who don't have a problem being around US soldiers.
The hotel was struck by a tank shell in 2003, killing two journalists.
Two years ago. During active fighting. When the building was being used to spot artillery onto our troops.
The only people who care about the two numb-nuts who aimed a camera at a tank battle are reporters, who take it on faith that the US purposefully kills reporters. Ignoring, in the meantime, the reporters killed by the terrorists or killed while aiding terrorists.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2005 14:35
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#5
Postwar Iraq is fraught with risks for reporters...
Yeah, not like that WWII gravy train we rode, right, boys? I'm real proud of ya...
#6
This story is gut turning in it's outright bald faced lies. The AP and is members want the US to lose, they are willing to do everything they can to see the US lose. They hate George Bush so much they don't care how many US service men they help kill just like Viet Nam. The only thing lower than a lawyer is a "journalist" I thank God my child didn't choose either profession. Useless parasites.
#7
For example, she said, the editors understood that it was much easier to add up the number of dead than to determine how many hospitals received power on a particular day or how many schools were built.
Maybe because you can sit on your ass at the hotel and just RETRANSMITS CENTCOM releases on casualties rather than actually work for living. What part of news GATHERING evades your imagination?
"The main obstacle we face," he said, "is the severe limitation on our movement and our ability to get out and report. It's very confining for our staff to go into Baghdad and have to spend most of their time on the fifth floor of the Palestine Hotel,"...
Then take a hint from Rummey - Hire Out!
If grandmothers are signed up to drive trucks in convoys for Haliburton, then you should be able to find independents [who are not former Saddam government officials or members of AQ] who will actually do the fundamentals of going outside the Green Zone and collect stories. However, that presupposes that you actually want those stories.
#8
Jirt, they really shouldn't hire any more stringers. For some reason, they always manage to find former Baathists or guys who have brothers in the terrorists' ranks.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2005 16:06
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#9
This is pretty funny. It sounds like the locals are starting to feel push back in their circulation numbers, but AP just can't get it. This must have been what it was like when the captain assembled a committee to design the new deck chair arrangement for the Titanic.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 16:11
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#10
The hotel was struck by a tank shell in 2003, killing two journalists.
"Every time we point something that looks from a distance like an RPG at a tank, the tank starts shooting at us. Those tank guys must be pretty slow learners."
Posted by: Matt ||
08/15/2005 16:41
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#11
All those troops rotating back watch and read the news and are asking questions. And they are talking to family, friends and neighbors.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005 16:45
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#12
Anonymoose's idea sounds like there's a real opportunity here.
I understand that it was Gulf War I that kicked CNN into the stratosphere - because they were there and had a jump on the competition.
If the local's are feeling the pinch as Mrs. Davis surmises, and we *know* that military people on rotation are helping to get the meme across that Iraq is not all doom and gloom, then there is certainly an opportunity to get the message out.
I would add to Anymoose's idea by having direct feeds to bloggers and blogging groups setup as well. That way there is some level of competition with the wire services such as AP. Then the locals at least have a choice..
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
08/15/2005 17:06
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#13
"also trying to keep our people out of harm's way."
Why yes, hence the order that reporters were only to use booths, not barstools....
#1
The problem - illustrated in the picture - is that on existing cars, you'd lose significant trunk space. The odds are that any car kitted out with these things will have to be bigger, just to provide space for grocery shopping.
#2
I don't know much about physics -but I'm guessing that even if you doubled the car size you wouldn't lose half the MPG. But even if that were true - 125 MPG isn't bad for a car twice that size.
#3
I don't know... it'd be nice to be able to buy a practical ultra-low-mileage electric/hybrid/fusion-powered De Lorean whenever my current Korean putt-putt gives up the ghost. You know, something more practical than a Prius.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
08/15/2005 14:49
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#4
I think we might start to see the introduction of city commuter cars. Tiny hybrids made out of recycled plastic that seat two and go forever on a charge. Put one of those roof racks/boxes on top for the groceries and recharge at least once a week.
No good for taking the kids to the soccer game though, for that you got to get out the Hummer.
It's no more efficient than other Prii. It simply gets some energy from a source which isn't being counted. He is getting his energy from a coal plant in Utah or a nukular plant in Arizona.
Meanwhile, the batteries mean the car is much heavier (and has much less cargo capacity), so once the pre-charge is done, he is going to get worse mileage than a box-stock Prius.
Oh, and I just love the line:
but believes automakers could mass-produce them by adding just $6,000 to each vehicle's price tag.
Just $6000? I was going to put $6000 in Fred's tip jar, but if that is such a miniscule amount, I guess I won't bother.
#9
Jackal: Just $6000? I was going to put $6000 in Fred's tip jar, but if that is such a miniscule amount, I guess I won't bother.
Actually $6,000 is peanuts *if* the car can get 250 mpg. To be conservative, and to account for an increase in the car's size to provide room for the the batteries, as well as the batteries' weight, let's cut that estimate in half, meaning that the car gets 125 mpg. That means a commuter driving a Taurus (30 mpg) and paying about $2,400 a year for gas will get to save $1,800 a year, or about $150 a month. The additional monthly payment (assuming a 7% interest rate and a 60-month term) from a $6,000 increase in the car's value is $110 a month. Like I said - it all depends on the accuracy of the claim. If it is possible to get 125 mpg, then a $6,000 increase in the car's price is peanuts, assuming current gas prices.
#10
Zhang, it bets 250 mpg until the battery wears down. Then it goes to normal Prius mileage less the cost of hauling dead batteries around. This is a commute vehicle for 1/2 hour commutes.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 16:27
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#11
I decided to become active in this effort to go to PHEV cars.
The bottom line: I want to stop giving money to guys who want to slit my throat. If nothing else, it's a life style issue.
#12
A fully electric car would do infinite miles per gallon. So what! This is just a brainless MSM pap piece. Where does the electricity come from? How is it generated? And how much does it cost?
#13
phil_b: A fully electric car would do infinite miles per gallon. So what! This is just a brainless MSM pap piece. Where does the electricity come from? How is it generated? And how much does it cost?
The majority of the oil used in the US is used to produce gasoline. For electricity, we use coal, natural gas and nuclear power. If gasoline consumption can be reduced substantially in the US alone, oil producing countries will take substantial hits in term of the number of barrels sold. And that is what this research is all about - reducing oil consumption to stick it to oil producers.
#14
The majority of the oil used in the US is used to produce gasoline. For electricity, we use coal, natural gas and nuclear power.
Natural gas and oil are semi-fungible with each other; natural gas is used to help turn the heavier crude oils into something usable.
We import natural gas as well, sometimes from the same sources.
We haven't started building a new nuclear plant for the last twenty-five years or so.
Coal production would be harder to expand than many people think; Clinton put a major coal development project out of business in the last month or so of his presidency by turning the place into a national monument.
Then there's wind power, which isn't as environmentally destructive, on average, as many greenies think, but they do think so, SO, there's a strong NIMBY factor there too.
(And there are wind power plants in the desert in CA where they can't even get clearance to build more cables to connect more of their capacity to the statewide grid...)
Building electric cars basically means you're going to trust the same establishment/government that made it much harder to drill here in the US to provide cheap and plentiful electricity.
Posted by: Phil ||
08/15/2005 18:13
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#15
Sorry Zhang, but at the margins, all energy sources are fungible (moreorless). Its immaterial how electricity is currently generated. The issue is how the extra electricty is generated. The reality is that electric battery powered cars require between 2 and 5 times as much energy to send the same car the same distance compared to gasoline.
#16
Its immaterial how electricity is currently generated.
To me, what kind matters. I want nuclear power. I want solar and wind power. Hell, I want coal if it means that the US is self sufficient. If the demand is there...
#17
phil_b: Sorry Zhang, but at the margins, all energy sources are fungible (moreorless).
Actually, they're not fungible in dollar terms. From a cost standpoint, nuclear is the cheapest, followed by coal, natural gas and oil. And that was when oil was $30 per barrel.
#18
Zhang, agreed on nuclear power. There are two ways to look at this. One is the media is peddling snakeoil that will result in substantial increases in imported energy, because electric cars require far more energy (inputs) and almost of the increased electricity demand will be from imported oil and gas. The other way to look at it is that the increased demand for electricity will result in more nuclear, faster. BTW, I am quietly optimistic about some of the passive solar energy projects I am hearing about.
CNN founder Ted Turner arrived in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, North Korean official media reported. I hear lil' Kim is quite the duffer.
"Robert Edward Turner, chairman of the Turner Foundation INC. of the United States, and his party ... arrived here," said the Korean Central News Agency, monitored here. South Korean officials said Turner was visiting the Stalinist state to discuss a project to turn the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas into a nature reserve. Never mind those starving children... I bet a petting Zoo will do nicely in the DMZ.
He will visit an international environmental forum on the project here early next week, they said. Good luck.
#10
What a waste of Mr. Turner's time. The DMZ is already a functioning nature preserve. It's the only place on the entire Korean peninsula where the animals can roam without fear of being crowded out or hunted, and the plant life has flourished undisturbed since the minefields were established. The only risk is to the very largest animals, who occasionally discover a mine the hard way.
ONE of the two terrorists who made the Bali bombs has been shot dead during a gun battle with soldiers near a militant stronghold in the southern Philippines. The remains of Umar Patek, a member of Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiah, and those of an al-Qa'ida-linked Abu Sayyaf commander were recovered from a creek bed on August 5, three weeks after they were ambushed by special forces. Security agencies formally identified Patek's remains yesterday, bringing an end to a three-year hunt to find one of the region's most dangerous bomb-makers.
Only three of the terrorists responsible for the Bali atrocities remain at large. They are master-bomber Azahari Hussein, his deputy Dulmatin and logistics man Noordin Mohammad Top. Patek had been responsible for mixing the chemicals used to make the 1-tonne potassium chlorate bomb that destroyed the Sari Club in Bali on October 12, 2002, claiming 202 lives, among them 88 Australians. The Philippines Government had claimed for several months that Patek and JI cohort Dulmatin had been hiding with the Abu Sayyaf in the restive province of Mindinao, controlled by Filipino Muslim militants.
Special forces soldiers launched an intensive operation in early July to find the pair thought at the time to be protected by Khadaffy Janajalani, the Abu Sayyaf leader responsible for dozens of kidnappings of Western hostages since 2000. Shortly after the offensive began, military officers claimed Dulmatin narrowly fled a helicopter gunship attack on a ramshackle Mindinao village. Dulmatin and Patek are thought to have been on the run ever since, taking refuge in Abu Sayyaf jungle hideaways and joining in combat operations against Filipino soldiers.
The death of Patek in the southern Philippines has reaffirmed suspicions long held by the Australian Government that JI and Abu Sayyaf have formed alliances to plot attacks against the West. Until early 2003, the two groups were thought to have remained largely separate, though working to a common end of establishing an Islamic stronghold governed by sharia law throughout the Indonesian archipelago and southern Philippines. Regional security officials believe dozens of Indonesian militants continue to conduct paramilitary training each month in Mindinao, before returning to their homelands. A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer last night said the Government had not been formally advised of Patek's death. "However, in principle we welcome all reports of capture, or elimination of any of the terrorists connected with Bali," Mr Downer's spokesman said.
#2
What a lazy article. Mindanao is not a province, its a large island. There are many provinces in Mindanao.
And there is no Filipino province that is controlled by Muslim militants, much less the whole island, the residents of which are overwhelmingly Christian.
.. He's Kofi Annan's Brother
THE official investigation into corruption in the £20 billion United Nations oil for food programme is now looking at the brother of Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general. Kobina Annan, the Ghanaian ambassador to Morocco, is said by investigators to be âconnectedâ to an African businessman at the centre of the scandal.
Kofi, Kojo and now, Kobina. Better warm up that old "Family Affair" theme song
The oil for food programme was set up by the UN in 1995 to provide humanitarian supplies to Iraq, which was at the time prevented from trading normally with the rest of the world because of sanctions. However, Saddam Hussein subverted the programme by taking kickbacks from companies involved and giving cut-price oil vouchers to influential individuals around the world.
Yeah, Sammy forced them to take all that money
Kobina is the second member of Annanâs family to be drawn into the scandal, which has led to the resignation of several senior UN officials. The secretary-general has so far escaped censure, but the final verdict on his conduct will not be delivered by investigators until the autumn. Kojo Annan, the secretary-generalâs son who was involved with several companies seeking to profit from the programme, has been criticised and remains under investigation.
Inquiries into Kobina are at an early stage and he has not been interviewed.
However, investigators are understood to suspect that Michael Wilson, an African businessman, and Kobina had a business relationship at the time of the scandal. A source close to the investigation said: âWe believe Kobina Annan may be involved with Michael Wilson and Kojo Annan. We know there is a connection between Kobina and Wilson.â
The oil for food programme was the biggest humanitarian scam scheme undertaken. However, since the fall of Saddam allegations of corruption have surfaced forcing the UN to set up a commission, headed by Paul Volcker, the former head of the American Federal Reserve, to investigate it. Saddam is alleged to have used valuable oil allocations to influence key figures around the world. Bribes were also demanded in return for oil, which were paid into a network of secret bank accounts.
Volcker has already uncovered a web of corruption at the UN, which appears to have allowed the schemeâs abuse to continue unchecked.
Last week, in an interim report, he said Benon Sevan, the head of the programme, and Alexander Yakovlev, another senior UN official, had taken bribes. Sevan has left the United Nations in disgrace and Yakovlev was arrested in New York last week in relation to the charges.
Wilson, a long-standing family friend of the Annans, is now fast becoming a focus of Volckerâs commission and some believe crucial evidence surrounding his business activities may prove fatal to the secretary-generalâs career. Wilsonâs role in the oil for food furore dates back to September 1995, when Kofi Annan spoke about the possibility of Kojo working for Wilson after leaving university in Britain. Kojo was then employed as a graduate trainee at Cotecna, of which Wilson was a vice-president. The company monitors shipments of imported and exported goods around the world.
In 1998, the year after Kofi became secretary-general, an inspection contract to monitor oil exports leaving Iraq was won by Cotecna.
Initially it was claimed Kojo had no links with the company when the contract was awarded as he had left earlier in the year. However, it later transpired that he had continued to receive payments from Cotecna until 2004. The commission then unearthed e-mails sent by Wilson which refer to âbrief discussions with the SG (secretary-general) and his entourageâ at a UN event in Paris shortly before the contract was awarded. Wilson reported âwe could count on their supportâ â a claim denied by Kofi.
Kojoâs conduct has been criticised by investigators but no formal charges have been brought. Wilson is in a similar position, although the investigation into both men continues. Now investigators say a new link has been established between Wilson and Kobina the secretary-generalâs brother. It is not known what this connection is. Kobinaâs son, Kobina Jr, who lives in America, also has connections to the United Nations. Last year he worked for Ruder Finn, a New York public relations company that boasts a number of UN contracts. The company is run by David Finn, a friend of Kofi Annan.
According to American reports, Ruder Finn employed Kobina Jr on a short-term contract after Kofi asked Finn if he could offer some âguidanceâ to his nephew. At the same time the company was hired by the UN development programme to revamp its communications office.
A statement issued by the company said: âKobina Annan was interested in public relations and applied for Ruder Finnâs internship programme and was admitted. Ruder Finn was not awarded any UN contract because of Kobinaâs employment.â
Right. Sure. No connection.
Kobina senior was travelling last week and unavailable for comment. A spokesman for Kofi Annan declined to comment.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
11:22 ||
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#1
Kofi, Kojo and now, Kobina.
Remember when a certain person would scoff at the suggestion that Kofi was dirty? How he'd say there was no evidence Kojo was involved in anything untoward?
I'll be honest -- I didn't see this spreading to Kofi's brother. I had no idea he had a brother, but that doesn't change the fact I had no idea it was going to spread like this. It turns out that while all of our suspicions were being poo-poo'd, we had no idea how big it would really be.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2005 11:55
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#2
It all makes more sense now. Funny how sanctions ended up being a cash cow for some at the UN as well as their friends and family. Alot of those same folks were working really hard to keep Saddam under the gun and sanctions yet vehemently opposed a war or other action that might end sanctions and the oil for scamster profit scheme.
#4
I think that those predicting the imminent demise of Kofi Annan's Secretary Generalship are off target.
The problem is not that Kofi Annan is crooked, but that the UN -- more accurately, most of the member states of the UN -- are crooked. No honest broker, much less one interested in the spread of democracy and economic empowerment, will be elected to such a position, at least not in the foreseeable future.
The U.S. can act as a spoiler and depose a corrupt U.N. Secretary General, but there is not much point in doing so -- the Who's lament holds. A better strategy is to get the goods on the crook and play him like a 1959 Les Paul, which Bolton, if he is half the guy he has been played up to be by the wishy-washy, should be able to do in spades.
Posted by: Curt Simon ||
08/15/2005 15:44
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#5
Now, I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I'm guessing that if you looked at all of Kofi Annan's brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, and close friends, you might find quite a few people who made a lot of money during the Oil-for-Food period, and can't explain exactly how they made it. But that's just my guess.
Former President Bill Clinton is getting his own CD music compilation - and don't bother suggesting any funny names. While some cheeky wags suggested yesterday calling the CD something blue, like "The Joy of Sax," "Sax and the City""Nothing But Sax" organizers say it will simply be called, "The Bill Clinton Collection: Selections from the Clinton Music Room." They'll be lining up for miles!
The Clinton Presidential Foundation has been working for months to acquire licensing rights to certain titles and has finally done so, foundation President Skip Rutherford said. The 11-track disk includes tunes such as "My One and Only Intern Love" by John Coltrane; "Harlem Mugging Nocturne" by David Sanborn; "My Chubby Funny Valentine" by Miles Davis; "Summertime" by Zoot Sims; "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Bang Another Fat Chick Be Free" by Nina Simone, and "Chelsea Bring A Few Hot Coeds Morning" by Judy Collins.
The CD is the latest joint venture for the Clinton Library and the Clinton Museum Store.
Clinton's office in New York has already reviewed the CD liner notes, and museum store operator Connie Fails said the compilation will be on sale in a month to five weeks.
Waitin at the Hotel late last night
He shoulda looked left and he shoulda looked right
He didn't se a Hilâry a spyin there
The Bubba got caught and there you are!
You got yer
Bubba caught in the hotel suite
Bubba caught in the hotel suite
You got your Bubba caught in the hotel suite
Hilâryâs gonna smack âem!
Heâd better duck quick, that vase will smart!
Close the door quick and run real hard
You don't have to look and you don't have to see
Bubba will feel it when she kicks his derieierey
You got yer
Bubba caught in the hotel suite
Bubba caught in the hotel suite
You got your Bubba caught in the hotel suite
Hilâryâs gonna smack âem!
Yeah you got yer Paula J. and you got yer Kathleen
On a moonlight night you got yer Miss Americee
Got yer Gennifer and yer Monica too.
The DNA stain its gonna make you swoon!
Bubba caught in the hotel suite
Bubba caught in the hotel suite
You got your Bubba caught in the hotel suite
Hilâryâs gonna smack âem!
Hilâryâs gonna smack âem!
C'mon duck!
You got it!
Smack âem, sheâll smack âem
Bubba caught in the hotel
Bubba caught in the hotel suite
Hilâryâs gonna smack âem!
All over the place, gotta duck, man!
Oh, you got a vase
It's crack, it's on the wall there
And Hilâryâs gonna smack, smack âem!
Russia's top state epidemiologist said on Monday that a bird flu outbreak in Siberia could spread through Russia's key agricultural areas in the south and then on to the Middle East and Mediterranean countries.
"An analysis of bird migration routes has shown that in autumn 2005...the H5N1 virus may be spread from Western Siberia to the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea," Gennady Onishchenko said in a letter to Russian regional health officials.
The letter was posted on the Website of the state's consumer rights watchdog.
"Apart from Russia's south, migrating birds may spread the virus to nearby countries (Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine, Mediterranian countries) because bird migration routes from Siberia also go through those regions in autumn," he said in the letter. But when will it mutate into a virulent human disease?
#2
Three scenarios. First, the avian flu devastates China; possibly precluding a major war between China and the US or China and India. Second, the avian flu devastates the middle east, further destabilizing several of the dictatorships in the region; though doubtful that it would effect US forces in the region. Third, that the flu only becomes terribly lethal after it has hit the western world. Granted, their total casualties might be smaller, but it could have terrible economic and social ramifications. In any event, I prefer that westerners be very aware of the deadly possibilities of this, the #1 potential human disease. Their greater awareness of hygiene and risk avoidance offers them much protection, but with flu, timing is everything, and some timely behavioral modification may prevent much unneeded tragedy.
#3
H5N1 was first isolated in wild birds in Scotland nearly 50 years ago. While a lot of people are obsessing over this, H5N1 is already in European wild birds and has been for a very long time.
The issue is, are the birds carrying a strain capable of transmitting to humans and potentially transmitting (sustained) H2H. We know the gene sequences of the strain(s) that are jumping to humans in SE Asia from domestic birds. And I have quizzed the people who study gene sequences. There is no direct evidence that those strains are in any wild birds, never mind in the birds migrating to Europe.
Pandemic H5N1 will originate in SE/E Asia and arrive at an international airport near you, not in migrating birds.
#5
Moose, Well in excess of 100 million domestic birds have either died from H5N1 or been culled as suspected infected. In comparison, a few thousand wild birds dying, I wouldn't call massive. In addition, a strain that kills wild birds may or may not be lethal to humans and lethality in birds is almost certainly unrelated to transmissability in humans, which is the issue.
#6
It's all in the demographics. Domestic birds exist in highly compact surroundings in small areas, and the vast majority of culls are preventative (especially in this case, with a disease that kills domestic birds in a day or two.) To get the same numbers, you would need a huge flock of birds of the susceptible type contained in the same area for some length of time. Even if the entire flock is infected, usually only a percentage will die on site, the rest dying, spread out, over a wide area miles away from the main kill. In addition, birds vary as to the virulence of the virus. Some may just be carriers, taking the virus thousands of miles with no ill effects. Others get sick and recover. Even those that are very ill can usually intermingle with domestic birds and other livestock, such as pigs, that also carry the disease. As far as which mutations are traveling, that is also deceptive, because for example, in a single herd of swine, it was determined that individual pigs were "selectively breeding" superior strains, which were then transmitted to the herd as a whole--a single herd Darwinistically created the most effective virus out of hundreds of permutations. In this way, domestic animals were reproducing a process that would take weeks or months in the wild, in days.
#7
There is an awful lot we don't know about the origins of flu pandemics. However, one thing we do know is that jumping species and achieving sustained transmission is a rare event. We know this for certain with jumping to humans and can reasonably assume its true of all species (and all viruses for that matter). What this means is a population of viruses in one species is isolated from populations of the same virus in other species. As far as we are aware a wild bird has never transmitted H5N1 to a human.
The flu virus is unique in its capacity to rapidly evolve to get around host immunity. The presumption here is that capacity to contagiously and lethally infect birds will allow it to similarly affect humans. There is no evidence for this contention and I would argue against it on theoretical grounds. And even it were true, it doesn't address how the virus gets into humans and achieves sustained transmission. The reality is that many millions of domestics birds in Asia have a strain of H5N1 that can jump to humans and is lethal. What is missing is sustained transmission. I believe that will come from a coinfection in a human with regular flu that is already transmissable.
You are right in that domestic birds and animals are the issue. However, I would argue that what is happening in wild birds is irrelevant to the next flu pandemic (but may well be relevant to the one after next in 50 years time) and is being pushed by certain people who should know better.
Paged linked by Drudge and takes 15 minutes to load, so posted in full.
Gov. Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency along New Mexico's 180-mile border with Mexico on Friday, pledging $1.75 million to beef up law enforcement and tackle increasing crime. "Recent developments have convinced me this action is necessaryâ including violence directed at law enforcement, damage to property and livestock, increased evidence of drug smuggling, and an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants," Richardson said in a prepared statement.
He toured the area near the busy border town of Columbus by helicopter frightening a ostrich farm and on the ground Friday before announcing the new initiatives. The Mexican government, which has long opposed any increased border fencing, immediately criticized Richardson's actions. And the Paleo terrorists criticize Israel's security measures, too.Southwestern New Mexico residents praised the moves and said even more are needed. "This is a great beginning," said Luna County Commissioner Rick Holdridge by phone. "What the governor's done is right on the money." He and others said a broader solution is needed to address the problems caused by hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who cross the border into New Mexico every year. He was one of 135 residents of the Rodeo and Animas areas in Hidalgo County who recently signed petitions asking Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., along with Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., for immediate action. I didn't know 135 people lived there. I've never seen that many.
Rodeo ... That's the name of the town, not his job description.
... rancher Richard A. Winkler said he and his neighbors are being burglarized regularly by border crossers who take food and other essentials. "I'm really tired of it," he said in a telephone interview Friday. "It's an epidemic."
Richardson signed an executive order declaring a disaster in Doña Ana, Luna, Grant and Hidalgo counties and making $750,000 in state emergency money immediately available to local governments there. Another $1 million in discretionary federal dollars allocated to New Mexico two years ago also will be used to tackle border problems, said Richardson spokesman Billy Sparks.
The $1.75 million overall will pay for:
# Increased state and local law enforcement;
# A new state Homeland Security field office that should be up and running within two weeks, probably in Luna County;
# A fence to protect the 20-acre Columbus Stockyards, which lie right on the border and, with only decaying wood barriers, are an easy place for illegal crossings into the United States
The governor told the state Department of Agriculture and Livestock Board to assess the security and safety of livestock in the border region within 15 days. "I'm taking these serious steps because of the urgency of the situation and, unfortunately, because of the total inaction and lack of resources from the federal government and Congress," Richardson said in front of "Richardson '08" banners.
Jarrod Agen, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, would not comment on Richardson's initiatives but said increased Border Patrol funding has made "extraordinary progress" possible in the Southwest.
Mexico ordered its consul in Albuquerque to meet with New Mexico officials "to promote appropriate actions by the officials of both countries."
"The Mexican government considers that some of the New Mexico government's statements are generalizations which don't jibe with the spirit of cooperation and understanding needed to address border problems," Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said in a statement. Isn't that funny. I say old Mexico's government's statements don't jibe with the spirit of cooperation and understanding needed to address border problems.
Bingaman praised Richardson's moves and said he agrees with the governor. "I share his frustration," he said in a telephone interview. "We have been doing what was possible, but our efforts in Washington to get the U.S.-Mexico border made a priority have not been entirely successful." Bingaman, who will visit the Deming Border Patrol Station on Monday, said more resources for local law enforcement and federal agencies are needed.
Domenici, along with Bingaman, said comprehensive immigration reform is vital. "The important thing to realize is that money and fences alone are not going to solve the illegal immigration problem," Domenici said in a prepared statement. But it's a start. What are you doing, Pete? I haven't voted for a Democrat since 1993, but you're going to change that.
Columbus, with about 1,800 people, is the closest settlement to the only 24-hour border crossing in New Mexicoâ the Columbus Port of Entry. With one officer on his force, a $152,000 annual budget and a 24-hour-a-day role as the first line of defense against drug and human smuggling, Columbus Police Chief Clare May has called his situation desperate.
Richardson said he asked the Mexican government to bulldoze the mostly abandoned town of Las Chepas, on the Mexican side of the border near Columbus. Any more members of the Corrie family available?
The town has been a popular border jumping spot for years. For $5, would-be illegal immigrants can hop a bus in Palomas and be deposited in Las Chepas, where a handful of stores sell jugs of water and Gatorade, juices bomb vests and food for their trip. Of course, there's no chance that any OTMs would use the same hideouts, is there?
Many wait in abandoned housesâ graffiti-covered concrete shellsâ until nightfall, when they can make their trip under the cover of darkness and in cooler temperatures.
Winkler, the Rodeo area rancher, said the federal government should close the border by putting patrols every quarter-mile. Pearce, who is holding 17 community meetings on immigration this month, said he has asked the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse residents for property damage. Good luck on that...
"We are dedicating every resource available to us as legislators, trying to galvanize action to make our country more secure," he said in a telephone interview.
#1
"The Mexican government considers that some of the New Mexico government's statements are generalizations which don't jibe with the spirit of cooperation and understanding needed to address border problems," Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said in a statement.
The problem is, with Mexico, there's none of either.
Posted by: Dar ||
08/15/2005 10:58
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#6
Isn't that funny. I say old Mexico's government's statements don't jibe with the spirit of cooperation and understanding needed to address border problems.
Ummm Yup, isn't that why Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and California are now disaffiliated with the former Imperial Government of Mexico?
I suppose it's still possible to extend the border southward a few hundred miles more, but frankly who wants it?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/15/2005 11:09
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#7
Isn't that funny. I say old Mexico's government's statements don't jibe with the spirit of cooperation and understanding needed to address border problems.
Ummm Yup, isn't that why Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and California are now disaffiliated with the former Imperial Government of Mexico?
I suppose it's still possible to extend the border southward a few hundred miles more, but frankly who wants it?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/15/2005 11:09
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#8
Baja California would make a nice 51st state. Tourism alone would make it economically, and the coastlines are awesome.
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 11:51
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#11
Richardson is pandering, He is a typical Democrat when it comes to crap like this. He sees president in front of his name when he looks in a mirror. He is right at home with the MALDF and Atzlan/MECHA types. A wolf in sheeps clothing as suits a good pal of Bill and Hillary.
#12
I'll give the man a chance, SPoD. Perhaps you know him better or have personal experience with him? Does he have a pattern of saying one thing and doing the opposite. I know he was in Clinton's cabinet, but I'm trying not to hold that against him.
Since I don't actually live in NM, I just get the news that leaks over into AZ. How many Democrats would cut the top income tax rate in half? Richardson did. Lots of ordinary decent people vote Democrat. I would hope that at least one of them might have sneaked into office.
#14
We'll know for sure if Napalitano is the next to jump on the bandwagon instead of Perry or the Governator. The Democarats may be stealing a march on the trunks here. They could pull a Nixon to China here.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 14:14
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#15
I doubt the democrats are smart enough to capitalize on this as a winning campaign strategy. As overwhelmingly positive as the reaction is from across the country, their strategists will still insist on cozying up to theoretical voters (illegals) in the far future instead of real, living voters right now. If they were smart, and watched Richardson's boat rising, the democrats could make serious inroads throughout the southern two tiers (two States deep) and the far West. That would rattle the republicans in their most solid base.
#16
Before you all get worked up about Richardson's act, our governor also issued policy some months back for state offices NOT to report illegals to the INS. Bill has ideas of running in 2008. He is playing both sides.
#18
He's a real big Demo lib, he's just better at hiding it. Here's a few Bill moments:
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (search), a former ambassador to the United Nations, said Bolton may face some "stormy" weather at the world body at first but with a little personal attention to the other ambassadors and a demonstration of interest and expertise in how the organization operates, the seas will calm. Being more congenial with U.S. lawmakers won't hurt, either, he said. Of top priority should be an effort to get rid of the bill on Capitol Hill that ties U.S. funding for the United Nations with real reform at the world body, Richardson said. "Bolton and the president have to kill that measure," he said. "It's going to be critically important if Bolton has some success at the U.N. for him to persuade the Senate and the House that that's not good for the U.S. â it ties your hands at the U.N."
-------------------------------
In New Mexico, Gov. Richardson has done much the same thing. He now blasts the federal government for not showing "the commitment or the leadership to deal with border issues." He is demanding that officials on the Mexican side bulldoze an abandoned town on the border that serves "as a staging area for illegal drugs and illegal aliens." But Mr. Richardson sang a different tune in late 2003, when he showed up at a rally for the "Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride" and told them, "¡Viva la raza! . . . Thank you for coming to Santa Fe. Know that New Mexico is your home. We will protect you. You have rights here."
Further evidence of the governor's zigzag policy on immigration came in April when he vetoed a "No Fear" bill, which would have prohibited state and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal authorities to detect or apprehend people based solely on immigration status. But then he quietly issued an executive order that had much the same effect. Earlier this year, he also signed legislation giving some illegal aliens the right to in-state tuition rates at public universities.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005 16:23
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3 killed in crossfire
Aug 14: A regional leader and a cadre of the outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) were killed during an exchange of fire between RAB members and the outlaws at Sankarpasha area under Abhoynagar upazila of Jessore district early hours today. Three members of the elite force who were injured by bullets fired by the outlaws were shifted to hospital after first-aid was given to them, according to a press release issued by RAB-6 today.
The two outlaws who were killed in the incident have been identified as PBCP regional leader Raju Jamaddar alias Raju alias Ahad, 32, and party cadre Abu Bakkar alias Majibar, 32. The former hailed from village Bashuary under Abhoynagar upazila of Jessore district, while the latter from village Naodary under Phultala upazila of Khulna district. Both the outlaws were on the run to escape arrest by the police in connection with over half a dozen cases including murder filed against each with Abhoynagar and Phultala police stations.
Our tale now begins..
Earlier, RAB members arrested a band of four outlaws, Raju, Abu Bakkar, Alamgir alias Alam and Shaheen alias Babu, from village Sankarpasha early Saturday.
Step One:"Morning boys. Stick em up!"
RAB sources said, a team of RAB men was attacked and fired upon by the accomplices of the arrested outlaws near the brick-field zone of village Sankarpasha area early hours today while the forces were proceeding along with Raju and Abu Bakkar to a place for recovery of arms and ammunitions on the basis of information provided by them during their interrogation.
Covered steps two thru five in one run-on sentence.
Immediately, the RAB members retaliated by firing and the exchange of fire continued for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Step Six..
Taking advantage of the situation, Raju and Abu Bakkar fled from their custody during the encounter.
Step Seven: "Feet, don't fail us now!"
Later, the RAB members found the bullet-riddled bodies of Raju and Abu Bakkar lying near the spot.
"They was just laying there, shot to doll rags. Don't know who done it, must'a been a "crossfire accident". Happens a lot, round these parts."
The forces recovered one foreign SBBL gun, one Indian one shooter and six rounds of ammunition from near the place of occurrence.
Step Nine
Steps are underway by the RAB members to hand over to the police two other outlaws Alamgir and Shaheen who were arrested along with Raju and Abu Bakkar on Saturday.
Who are very glad they had their "I Luv the RAB" t-shirts on
UNB adds from Kushtia: A leader of an outlawed party was killed in a shootout with police at Khordo Bakhil village in Sadar upazila early today. Police said they arrested Jamal Mondol alias Jamal, 30, a regional leader of outlawed Biplobi Communist Party from Laxmipur village in Sadar upazila on Saturday night.
Ya'll know what happens next
According to his confession when police reached near a field at Khordo Bakhil village along with Jamal at about 4 am to seize hidden arms, his accomplice opened fired forcing the law enforcers to fire back.
The old looking for arms in a dark field at O-Four hundred gag.
Jamal was caught in the crossfire while trying to flee and died on the spot
."Ahhhhhhh.....rosebud!"
Police said Jamal was wanted in six cases including two murders. Police recovered one LG and some bullets from the scene.
Astrologer shot at in city
Gunmen shot and wounded an astrologer at Moghbazaar in the city on Saturday, reports UNB.
You'd of thought he'd have seen this coming
Informed sources said three young men came to the office of Joytishi Rathnaghar of Kazi Faizullah, 45 at 1pm and asked him look at their palms and tell their fate.
"I see trouble in your future, you will soon shoot ....uh oh"
Soon the young men picked up a quarrel with the astrologer and at one stage opened fire at him. Faizullah was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital with bullet wounds and later shifted to Paungu Hospital.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
09:45 ||
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#1
The forces recovered one foreign SBBL gun, one Indian one shooter and six rounds of ammunition from near the place of occurrence.
SBBL? Lemme guess...
South Bronx Baseball League?
Sistema Bibliotecario Biomedico Lombardo?
Spam Bait Block List?
#2
Informed sources said three young men came to the office of Joytishi Rathnaghar of Kazi Faizullah, 45 at 1pm and asked him look at their palms and tell their fate.
Well, there's their problem right there. They went to an astrologer for palmistry...
August 15, 2005: There are currently some 30-50 IED (roadside, or suicide car bomb) attacks attempted each day in Iraq. These bombs kill 20-30 American troops a month. They are the most effective weapon the Sunni Arab and al Qaeda terrorists have, even though the vast majority of them are detected and destroyed before they can be used. The bombs are built and placed by one of several dozen independent gangs, each containing smaller groups of people with different skills. At the head of each gang is a guy called âthe money man.â That tells you something about how all this works. Nearly all the people involved with IED gangs are Sunni Arabs, and most of them once worked for Saddam. The gangs hire themselves out to terrorist groups (usually al Qaeda affiliated), as well as Baath Party or Sunni Arab groups that believe the Sunni Arabs should be running the country. You got the money, these gangs got the bombs.
The âmoney man,â naturally, calls the shots. He hires, individually or as groups, the other specialists. These include scouts (who find the most effective locations to put the bombs), the bomb makers, the emplacers (who place the bomb) and the trigger team, that actually sets the bomb off, and often includes an ambush team, to attack the damaged vehicles with AK-47s and RPGs. The trigger team also usually includes a guy with a video camera, who records the operation. Attacks that fail, are also recorded, for later examination for things that could be improved. The specialists most in demand are the emplacers. This is the most dangerous job, as coalition and Iraqi troops watch carefully for IEDs being placed, and shoot fast, and to kill, if they see a bomb being planted. Needless to say, the highest casualties are among the emplacers. Many of these specialist teams are independents, and hire themselves out to the money man who pays the best, or has a reputation for not losing people. Some of these teams have been found advertising on the Internet. Men in each team get from $50 to several hundred bucks for each IED worked on.
Interrogations of captured IED crew members indicates that most IED teams operate on a two week cycle. During this period, the gang will prepare and place from a few, to a dozen IEDs in one, carefully planned operation. Once the money man has decided on what area to attack, the scout team (or teams) spend 4-5 days examining the target area, to see how troops, police and traffic operate. They recommend places to put the bombs, and the money man decides how many to build and place where.
The bomb makers are contracted to build a certain number of bombs and have them ready for pick up by the emplacers on a certain day. The trigger teams are either already in place, or arrive shortly after, the emplacers successfully plant their bombs. Most of the bombs are discovered and destroyed by the police or troops. Increasingly, the trigger teams are discovered, and attacked, as well. This is where a lot of bomb team members are captured. These men often provide information on other members of the team, which results in more arrests. Thousands of men, involved with these IED gangs, have been killed or captured in the last two years. There are always plenty of new people willing to have a go at it. The main reason is money. With over 20 percent unemployment nationwide, and even higher rates in Sunni Arab areas (because the terrorism there has reduced economic activity), an opportunity to make a months pay for a few hours, or days, work, is worth the risk. For the more senior members of the gangs, there is another reason. These guys worked for Saddam, have blood on their hands, and are known to the Kurds and Shia Arabs they terrorized for years. They can either flee Iraq, and risk getting picked up eventually for their crimes, or stay in Iraq, and hope that their IED efforts put Sunni Arabs back into power before the police, or vengeful kin of their victims, catch up with them.
Saddamâs henchmen got away with hundreds of millions of dollars in cash. We know this, because that much was seized by coalition troops as they overran Iraq in 2003. The current IED campaign is costing the terrorists one or two million dollars a month. Nearly a hundred IED and car bomb factories have been captured so far, and often large quantities of cash are seized. The IED campaign is driven by the cash, all the bombs, explosives and shells Saddam had stored all over the country, and Sunni Arab fear of being brought to justice.
A small percentage (less than 20 percent) of the terrorist attacks are by al Qaeda, which has a different agenda than the Sunni Arabs. These differences (al Qaeda wants an Islamic dictatorship, Saddamâs buddies want a Sunni Arab secular dictatorship) have been put aside, as both groups try to get the foreign troops out of Iraq.
Al Qaeda prefers to use car bombs. This is because al Qaeda has a big supply of Sunni Arab volunteers from neighboring countries. Many of these volunteers are worthless, as they have no training, and some of them are deranged. But some of these men are capable of driving a suicide car bomb, used as trigger teams. The car bombs are produced in auto repair shops, where cars have seats, and other components removed so that the explosives can be installed. Better suspensions are often installed so that the vehicle will not be so obviously overloaded, and be easier to drive. Building a car bomb costs more than an IED, but al Qaeda saves money by using volunteers for other jobs, besides drivers. The emplacers will drive another car, behind the suicide bomber, radioing the suicide bomber instructions, and sometimes setting off the explosives themselves. Suicide bombers often have second thoughts when it comes to doing the deed. The emplacers prevent this any way they can. The emplacer car will often have a cameraman, taping the operation. These vids turn up a lot on pro-terrorist web sites.
There is no terrorist high command for the IED effort. All of the gangs are independent, and many of the teams within the gangs are independent as well. What drives the operation is money, a desire to regain control of the country, and fear of punishment for past crimes. The ongoing political negotiations between the Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurd leaders, has dealt with the subject of amnesty for Saddams most notorious thugs. The victims (or their surviving kin) are reluctant to let the current bunch of terrorists off scot free, but are willing to negotiate over the issue. The more blood people have shed, the harder it is to get an amnesty deal. The terrorists currently in the game are taking a big gamble, that they will either see Sunni Arabs back in power, or that they will evade punishment once the police gain control over the entire country.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
09:32 ||
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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - Fighting across southern Afghanistan has left at least 28 suspected Taliban rebels dead as violence rages on in the countdown to crucial legislative elections next month, officials said Monday. The bloodiest battle occurred in Zabul province Sunday when Afghan forces attacked a group of suspected militants, killing 16 and arresting one, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Among the dead was a local Taliban commander, Mullah Nasir, it said.
Separately in Zabul, alleged insurgents mistakenly detonated a mine that was intended to hit a convoy of U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces Sunday, killing one militant and wounding another, Sori district chief Rovi Khan said. On the same day in neighboring Uruzgan province's Dehrawud district, a gunbattle between Afghan soldiers and insurgents left five militants dead, the ministry statement said. Then in an adjacent district, Tirin Kot, police hunted down and killed six suspected guerrillas who attacked a highway checkpoint, provincial Gov. Jan Mohammed Khan said. Nine alleged militants also were arrested in a sweep of the area. No security forces were hurt in any of the clashes, according to the statement and governor.
Excellent!
Hunting them down means they've got the intel to drive their operations now, rather than thrashing blindly as they have on some previous occasions.
Khan said the police and Afghan army were on the offensive across his province to prevent the Taliban and other militants from disrupting legislative elections on Sept. 18. Nearly 1,000 people have died in violence since March. Officials have warned of further unrest leading up to the polls, which are seen as a major step toward democracy in Afghanistan after more than two decades of war and civil strife.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
09:28 ||
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#1
"suspected" Taliban "killed"? heh heh - how's that recruiting going? # 2 or #3 spots may be open again
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 10:01
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#2
The two sweetest words in the COIN dictionary - "work accident".
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
08/15/2005 10:31
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#3
alleged insurgents mistakenly detonated a mine
Almost as nice as when a bomb maker doesn't quite get it right...
#5
I love disproportionate-force as a tactic. I believe Napolean first used it effectively, then Hitler (blitzkreig), and the Soviets forced the Nazis into retreat battles by means of lightening encirclement. When the FBI uses 50 members to arrest 4 culprits, the futility of resistance sinks in rather quickly, no matter what fire power the targets possess. The quicker the surrender, the safer the attack.
Posted by: Vlad the Muslim Impaler ||
08/15/2005 21:40
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Reading KCNA articles about the "U.S. Group for the Study of Songun Politics", one starts to picture millions of the disaffected American proletariat rising up in the streets, marching through U.S. cities with their fists upraised in the manner depicted by North Korean social realist murals. The "U.S. Public Figure" and chairman of this party is one John Paul Cupp, who apparently is a homeless guy in Oregon. If he is the chairman, it appears he must also be the vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer and night-watchman.
DAMASCUS, Syria, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- A U.N. committee probing the slaying of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has requested permission from Syria to question senior security officials.
"Pretty please?"
Saudi daily newspaper al-Hayat Monday quoted Syrian sources as saying that chief international investigator Detlev Mehlis of Germany forwarded questions to at least three officials, including Brig. Gen. Rustom Ghazaleh, who was head of Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon at the time of Hariri's assassination Feb. 14. The sources said the Syrian government received a series of questions last week regarding Hariri's assassination and is ready to answer them.
"Syria wants an honest and transparent investigation into Hariri's killing, and we are not scared but we fear the issue might be manipulated politically to hold us responsible without providing evidence," the sources said. They denied that any direct contact took place between the international investigators and the Syrian officials.
In Beirut, Lebanon, U.N. spokesman Najib Friji told UPI that the international investigators asked for Syrian cooperation and to be able to interrogate certain Syrian officials. Friji denied forwarding questions in the letter. Other U.N. sources said the international investigators insist on direct interrogation, while Syria prefers interrogation by proxy, notably by correspondence.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
09:24 ||
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#1
I didn't know the Syrians were involved in U. N. procurement activities.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 19:46
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A Yemeni court specialized in terror cases Monday started the prosecution of 34 people on charges of supporting slain rebel leader Hussein al-Houthy. The indictment included charges of forming armed gangs and planning terrorist attacks against military officials, security departments and the defense ministry. The defendants refused to appear in court to protest what they called "politically manipulated and exaggerated charges filed by the government which is the judge and the enemy at the same time." The defendants also accused the government of seeking to please the United States by showing that it is combating terrorism. The defendants are accused of possessing arms, explosives and rockets for intended use in illegitimate activities. Al-Houthy was killed last September during a 3-month-long rebellion he led in a northern Yemeni province.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
09:18 ||
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Are Israel's critics correct? Does the "occupation" of the West Bank and Gaza cause the Palestinian Arabs' anti-Semitism, their suicide factories, and their terrorism? And is it true these horrors will end only when Israeli civilians and troops leave the territories?
The answer is coming soon. Starting August 15, the Israeli government will evict about 8,000 Israelis from Gaza and turn their land over to the Palestinian Authority. In addition to being a unique event in modern history (no other democracy has forcibly uprooted thousands of its own citizens of one religion from their lawful homes), it also offers a rare, live, social-science experiment.
We stand at an interpretive divide. If Israel's critics are right, the Gaza withdrawal will improve Palestinian attitudes toward Israel, leading to an end of incitement and a steep drop in attempted violence, followed by a renewal of negotiations and a full settlement. Logic requires, after all, that if "occupation" is the problem, ending it, even partially, will lead to a solution.
But I forecast a very different outcome. Given that about 80% of Palestinian Arabs continue to reject Israel's very existence, signs of Israeli weakness, such as the forthcoming Gaza withdrawal, will instead inspire heightened Palestinian irredentism. Absorbing their new gift without gratitude, Palestinian Arabs will focus on those territories Israelis have not evacuated. (This is what happened after Israeli forces fled Lebanon.) The retreat will inspire not comity but a new rejectionist exhilaration, a greater frenzy of anti-Zionist anger, and a surge in anti-Israel violence.
Palestinian Arabs themselves are openly saying as much. A top Hamas figure in Gaza, Ahmed al-Bahar says "Israel has never been in such a state of retreat and weakness as it is today following more than four years of the intifada. Hamas's heroic attacks exposed the weakness and volatility of the impotent Zionist security establishment. The withdrawal marks the end of the Zionist dream and is a sign of the moral and psychological decline of the Jewish state. We believe that the resistance is the only way to pressure the Jews."
A Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri says likewise that the withdrawal is "due to the Palestinian resistance operations. ⊠and we will continue our resistance."
Others are more specific. At a mass rally in Gaza City last Thursday, about 10,000 Palestinian Arabs danced, sang, and chanted, "Today Gaza, tomorrow Jerusalem." The commander of Gaza's Popular Resistance Committees, Jamal Abu Samhadaneh announced Sunday, "We will move our cells to the West Bank" and warned "The withdrawal will not be complete without the West Bank and Jerusalem." The Palestinian Authority's Ahmed Qurei also asserts, "Our march will stop only in Jerusalem."
Palestinian Arab intentions worry even Israeli leftists. An Arab affairs specialist for Ha'aretz, Danny Rubinstein notes that Prime Minister Sharon decided to leave Gaza only after anti-Israel carnage there had escalated. "Even if these attacks were not the reason why Sharon came up with the idea of disengagement, the Palestinians are certain that that is the case, and this has reinforced their belief that Israel only understands the language of terror attacks and violence."
Israel National News has collected other leftist comments.
A former justice minister and chairman of the Yahad/Meretz Party, Yossi Beilin: "There is a concrete danger that following the disengagement, the violence will greatly increase in the West Bank in order to achieve the same thing as was achieved in Gaza."
A former Labor Party foreign minister, Shlomo Ben-Ami: "A unilateral retreat perpetuates Israel's image as a country that runs away under pressure ... In Fatah and Hamas, they will assume that they must prepare for their third intifada - this time in [the West Bank]."
A former General Security Service chief, Ami Ayalon: "Retreat without getting anything in return is liable to be interpreted by some of the Palestinians as surrender. ... There is a high chance that shortly after the disengagement, the violence will be renewed."
A former air force commander, Eitan Ben-Eliyahu: "There is no chance that the disengagement will guarantee long-term stability. The plan as it stands can only lead to a renewal of terrorism."
Events, I predict, will prove Israel's critics totally wrong but they will learn no lessons. Untroubled by facts, they will demand further Israeli withdrawals. Israel's one-car crash is dismally preparing the way for more disasters.
#1
The arabs should keep in mind that if they want a fight the Israelis could scortch the earth and lay waste to all of palestine. This move has been perverted from a peace gesture to a sign of weakness that hamas is going to use to sieze power and rally the idiots. God save the jews from these animals, I hope they know what they are doing.
#2
I respect Pipes, and completely agree with the points he is making - but he completely avoids the more compelling argument for Israel doing what they are doing - circling the wagons to keep from getting picked off one by one. It will be easier to retaliate when you don't have to worry about keeping 8,000 hostages safe.
#3
They should have expelled the Arabs in 1967 when the world was still in shock over the 6-day war and they had the moral high ground. If not then they should have done it in 1973. Barring that...
Israel should have convinced the settlers to build in East Jerusalem and surrounding areas hoping to tip the demographic balance there a way that was militarilly defensivle and that didn't leave them spread all over the map.
They should have built two walls in areas of the west bank and zoned the area in between for industrial parks that might use Arab workers, thus preventing the Arab workers from going into Israel proper every day.
They should have walled up Gaza before the Sinai was handed over, and even if Egypt didn't officially accept the strip along with Sinai they should have acted as if they did.
SNORERS are used to being told they are overweight, drink too much and should not sleep on their backs.
But what really makes them snore, according to scientists, is the shape of their throats.
Snorers have narrower throats, with the loudest snorers having the narrowest throats.
Slovenian doctors used scanners to measure the size and shape of the mouths of 40 volunteers, including 14 loud snorers. The group included similar numbers of light snorers and non-snorers.
It was found the noisiest had the narrowest throats - 8.6 times narrower than their mouths.
Non-snorers' throats were more than twice as wide, at just 3.6 times narrower than their mouths, while moderate snorers measured 4.7.
Researcher Dr Igor Fajdiga said: "The results are highly significant, showing that a greater narrowing is characteristic for snoring persons."
That seems a very logical move.
THE US military has gone low-tech. Frustrated with the limitations of using its fleet of modern Humvee four-wheel-drives in rugged mountains with few roads, a battalion of marines has enlisted the help of transport vehicles that Afghan villagers have been using for centuries - donkeys. About 30 of the animals have been rented from local farmers to haul food and bottled water to hundreds of Afghan and US troops on a major two-week operation to battle militants deep in remote mountains in eastern Afghanistan. "With all the smart bombs and the modern stuff in war nowadays, this is the best way for us to resupply our troops there," said Lieutenant Colonel Jim Donnellan, commander of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.
Using aircraft to resupply the forces is also dangerous. In late June, militants in the area shot down a special forces Chinook helicopter, killing all 16 troops on board, as it tried to land. The operation is aimed at flushing those fighters out of the valley and US commanders are nervous about risking other choppers. Australia's most famous military donkey was used by war hero John Simpson at Gallipoli. Simpson used his donkey - called either Duffy, Murphy or Abdul - to carry dozens of wounded.
In Afghanistan, at one end of Korengal Valley, where the militants are suspected of hiding, squads of US Marines with heavy packs on their backs led out lines of donkeys, each laden with two boxes of water, a box of food rations and a sack of grain.
Giving old meaning to the phrase; "Get your tired ass up that hill."
While each marine carried enough food and water for themselves for two days, the donkeys gave each squad supplies for an extra 48 hours. Once finished, the animals would be led back to reload and then return to the mountains. Before coming to Afghanistan, some of the troops received training in handling donkeys at the Marines' Mountain Warfare Training Centre in Bridgeport, Nevada.
#2
The irony of this comes from the 10th Mountain Division in New York. When they were formed, they assumed that mules would be a major part of their operations. Mules are better than either horses or donkeys, for they are hardy and disease resistant. So the Division built large stables and purchased a bunch of mules. Unfortunately, they were unable to find anyone who was a skilled muleskinner, to train other muleskinners. And, unless you understand the way of mules, they are as unusable as a truck with no engine or wheels. So they ended up having a mule "fire sale", and returning to motor vehicles.
However, I was with the 10th in its reactivation from 1985-88 in the DISCOM where said transport would go. There never were any mules or facilities created. Never got to use the new facilities cause weren't built yet, had to do with rehab'd WWII buildings while the new Drum was constructed. Had a number of offers of former Mountaineers to show us the ropes, but it never was in the plan.
#8
Funny how these tales get circulated. I'll take your word for it, being there trumping military rumor mill. At the time I was in Germany, involved in other business.
#10
I've heard they did use mules in Italy during WW2 and had to use field manuals originally written in the late 1800s from the Indian campaigns. Seems plausible. Anyone know?
I'm not sure of the figures, coz I'm braindead, but IIRC there area bout 2 millions french expats, mostly high-skilled youngs or entrepreneurs, who flow out of France at the rate of 50 000 each year (while in the same time there are 350 to 500 000 non-skilled migrants who come in, only 5% of them in order to work, the others being benefit-receivers). Note that due to my many failures, I'm way too soft and underschooled to try my luck elsewhere. If the ship sinks, I sink with it, glups.
#1
I'm way too soft and underschooled to try my luck elsewhere.
Silly boy, in America it's your willingness to work and learn that counts, not your curriculum vitae. I know you love your mother, but send off a few letters to American companies, and see what happens.
#3
Fed up with a country they describe as rigid, racist and old-fashioned, French youngsters are opting for a new start in Britain, Canada, America or New Zealand
There's something all those countries have in common. I just can't put my finger on it.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2005 9:29
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#4
..for fear of being unable to fire people,"
Nice to know that the U.S. government isn't the only outfit unable to fire people.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/15/2005 16:27
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#8
English is more or less the common language.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/15/2005 16:38
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English IS the common language.
Some ham/spam I got.
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.
At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a group of half dozen or so officers that included personnel from most of the countries.
> Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks, but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many
languages, Americans learn only English.He then asked: "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking
French?"
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied: "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have
to speak German.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Ham/Spam up to you.
At least some French have learned there is more to life than being anti-english.
A few days old, got it through a ML.
A West Palm Beach man has been indicted for smuggling radioactive hazardous material on an airplane from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas. Harold J. DeGregory, Jr. was arrested and appeared in federal Magistrate Court in Miami Wednesday after a grand jury in Fort Lauderdale returned an eight-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to transport and smuggle air commerce property containing Iridium-192.
DeGregory, a 58-year-old pilot, was not licensed to handle the hazardous material. Although Iridium-I92 has legitimiate industrial uses, it can pose public health risks if not properly handled, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Defense attorney Ed O'Donnell says DeGregory wasn't involved in any corruption and that this is merely a technical violation. DeGregory didn't have a license to transport the hazardous material. DeGregory was released after posting $50,000 bond Wednesday.
Egyptian authorities say there has been a serious incident near the airport used by the multinational observer force in the Sinai Peninsula. Initial reports indicating that a bus had exploded, causing casualties, have been denied by officials.
"Nope, nope, didn't happen. It was just a backfire. A really big backfire."
A blast reportedly occurred outside an airport at al-Gorah, the force's main camp in the north of Sinai. The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) monitors Israeli and Egyptian adherence to the Camp David Accords.
A vehicle carrying force personnel appeared to be hit by a blast about 1km outside the base which is near the town of el-Arish. Egyptian officials said that the explosion was likely to have been caused by an unexploded landmine left over from conflicts with Israel, but this could not be confirmed.
I see. The bus didn't blow up, it was the landmine that blew up. The bus was just a innocent bystander.
Sinai was the scene of three Arab-Israel wars between 1956 and 1973. Under 1978 peace accords between Israel and Egypt, both sides undertook to maintain the Sinai as a demilitarized zone. The MFO operation is not run by the United Nations.
You can tell because it's been reasonably sucessful.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
08:27 ||
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lol! caused by an unexploded landmine left over from conflicts with Israel They never give up.
Posted by: ed ||
08/15/2005 9:28
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#3
EL-ARISH, Egypt (CP) - Two Canadian members of an international peace-monitoring force in the Sinia were lightly wounded Monday when their vehicle was rocked by a crude roadside bomb near Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip, Egyptian officials said.
The blast went off on a highway about three kilometres from an MFO base near the border with Gaza, hitting an MFO vehicle. Two Canadian women members of the MFO were slightly wounded and returned to duty afterward, the governor of North Sinai, Ahmed Abdel Hamid, told state TV.
The explosion was caused by a natural gas canister that was planted on the roadside and detonated through a wire, Abdel Hamid said. A second wired canister failed to explode. Local security officials on the scene said the canisters had been filled with explosives.
Well, there goes the "left-over land mine theory.
Investigators at the scene found a white mini-bus bearing the MFO logo. It had flat tires and broken windows but no sign of fire. The explosion left a small crater beside the road.
MFO spokesman Ian Baxendell confirmed that two MFO members were "very lightly injured." But he had no further details and could not confirm that a bomb hit the vehicle.
Egyptian security officials at the scene said the explosion occurred at about 8 a.m. as the MFO personnel were driving away from the airport at el-Goura where they are based, 15 kilometres from the Gaza border. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk. Canada has about 30 troops in the MFO. The spokesman for the Canadian Embassy in Cairo, Ulrich Shannon, said he could not confirm any casualties.
Gov. Abdel Hamid said the explosion was meant more as a warning than to cause damage. "This is a firecracker," he told The Associated Press, but he did not elaborate.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005 12:25
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#4
The explosion was caused by a natural gas canister that was planted on the roadside and detonated through a wire, Abdel Hamid said. A second wired canister failed to explode. Local security officials on the scene said the canisters had been filled with explosives.
Gov. Abdel Hamid's contention that this was merely a warning, not an attack, doesn't seem borne up by the description.
A court in Indonesia has sentenced a man to life in jail for the bombing of a McDonald's restaurant in 2002, which left three people dead. The man, Agung Abdul Hamid, was found guilty of financing and co-ordinating the attack, which took place in Makassar, in South Sulawesi. Prosecutors had asked Makassar's district court for the death penalty.
The bombing occurred on 5 December 2002, just weeks after the Bali attacks that killed more than 200 people. Chief judge Andi Haedar said Hamid was "legally and convincingly guilty of planning or inciting other people to carry out an act of terrorism that resulted in casualties and destruction of public facilities." Prosecutors said he had paid other people to take part in the attacks, and illegally possessed firearms and explosives. Hamid insisted he was innocent, and said he would appeal the verdict. "I reject the sentence because all these charges are false," he told the Associated Press. "The trial is engineered, and full of American intervention."
"Lies, all lies!"
Hamid was arrested on the island of Java last October, after being on the run from the Indonesian authorities for almost two years. Police claim he has links to the regional militant group Jemaah Islamiah, which has been blamed for several attacks in Indonesia, including the Bali bombings.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005
08:06 ||
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2005 â Iraqi citizens tipped off U.S. soldiers patrolling the northwest part of Baghdad about the whereabouts of two roadside bombs Aug. 10. The Iraqis told a Task Force Baghdad patrol at 9:15 a.m. the bombs were placed near a major highway in the area. The Americans found two landmines and two mortar rounds wrapped in detonation cord. The soldiers secured the site and called in an explosive ordnance disposal team to safely detonate the munitions.
A suicide car bomber attacked another American unit patrolling west Baghdad four hours later. The bomb detonated prematurely, 10 feet from the soldiers' vehicles. The car's driver was killed in the attack, but no one else was killed or injured. Timing is everything!
The soldiers also stopped a suspicious vehicle following directly behind the car bomb. When they searched the vehicle and the two occupants inside they found a loaded AK-47 assault rifle. One occupant also had a cellular phone that could have been used to communicate with the suicide bomber or videotape the attack. Mebbe they were the timers? Both men where taken into custody for questioning.
At 4:45 p.m., a third task force unit found two 100-pound bombs hidden under some grass laid on a major highway in northwest Baghdad. The soldiers secured the site and called in an EOD team. The U.S. soldiers then noticed some people gathered around a car about 100 yards away from the bomb. The soldiers questioned the group to determine the car's owner. After the owner was identified, the soldiers searched the vehicle's trunk and found the same kind of grass used to cover the bombs. Explosive materials were also found in the car. There's returning to the scene of the crime, then there's never leaving the scene! The vehicle's owner and three other men were taken into custody for questioning.
Later in the day task force soldiers found and safely disabled three more roadside bombs in northwest, central and south Baghdad before they could be used against Iraqi citizens or coalition forces.
And Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers teamed up Aug. 9 to capture two kidnappers and return a 2-year-old child to his parents in the Bayaa district of south Baghdad. The combined patrol was patrolling the neighborhood around 2 p.m. that day when a white van drove by. One van occupant fired six shots from an AK-47 at the patrol. How to draw attention to yourself, when you should be trying to blend in! When the assailant's vehicle sped around a corner to flee, an Iraqi police undercover unit met it. The police fired four shots into the rear tires of the van and stopped it.
The combined patrol investigated and found a 2-year-old child who had been kidnapped from his home just minutes before. The Iraqi police arrested the driver and the passenger, impounded the van, and returned the child to his parents. Somebody ought to tell the MSM about this site!
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005
07:50 ||
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#1
Rock on, guys! I still love to hear about our troops doing good from someone else BESIDES them.
#4
AFAICT the rest of the press has not picked up on yesterdays WaPo story about Ramadi, which may be the most significant good news of all - that members of the Sunni Dulaimi tribe, attempting to protect their Shia neighbors from ethnic cleansing, chased Zarq's thugs out of town.
#5
what's worse for the LA Times and NYT and WAPO is not only do they not carry the stories of the day, but when they do - I question the reliability of their version of events. If you have stock - sell, baby, sell. The chances of them recovering are getting slimmer each day.
#10
Raj, click on the 2 year view, and you see the decline begins in early 2004. Wonder what was happening then? Anyone know? Bueller?
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2005 10:53
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#11
actually the NYT had a pretty decent article on Sunday about the Iraqi force thats taken over the Haifa street district in central Baghdad from American forces. for those without NYT passwords, you can see the article via Yahoo.
again, i see no reference to this in the WaPo or elsewhere.
Which shows an interesting pattern. Good news stories from Iraq ARE written by reporters in the field, and make it into the papers. But nobody at those papers is trying to pull those together into a coherent strategic analysis - overviews are typically left to the Washington bureaus, NOT the Baghdad bureaus, and are slanted (like Sundays WaPo article by Robin Wright).
#13
Easy Bigjim. When you live in an alternate universe, you actually do believe the earth is the center of it all, and the sun/moon/planets/stars all revolve around it. When the math doesn't add up, you just keep coming up with excuses why it 'should' be that way instead of investigating the underlying assumptions of how the universe really operates. And before you think that is just cute, remember we still say 'sunrise' and 'sunset' even in this post Copernicus/Galileo/Kepler world.
Terrorist Abu Zubair, also known as Mohammed Salah Sultan, was killed Aug. 12 by Iraqi security forces in an ambush in the northern city of Mosul, officials said today. Zubair was a known member of al Qaeda in Iraq and a lieutenant in the operations of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Mosul. Zubair was being sought by coalition and Iraqi security forces for his involvement in a July suicide bombing attack of a police station in Mosul where five Iraqi police officers died. He was also suspected of resourcing and facilitating suicide bomber attacks against coalition, Iraqi security forces and Iraqi citizens throughout the country. When Zubair was killed, he was wearing a suicide device consisting of an explosive pack across his stomach armed with pellets, officials noted. Mebbe he felt like a cornered rat?
"Abu Zubair's death, as well as recent captures of terrorists in northern Iraq, is making a difference in coalition and Iraqi security forces efforts to disrupt terrorists operating in this part of the country," said Col. Billy J. Buckner, Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman. "Terrorists are doing all they can to stop the rise of a free Iraq, but their bombs and attacks have not prevented Iraqi sovereignty and they will not prevent Iraqi democracy," Buckner said.
Coalition and Iraqi security forces captured three bombmakers and six foreign fighters, and found and cleared 101 improvised explosive devices during the week ending Aug. 12. On July 27, forces conducted a raid on a safe house in Mosul, arresting six terrorists and finding terrorist propaganda, to include a letter written to Zarqawi. In that letter the author, Abu Zayd, a terrorist operating out of Mosul, complained of the poor leadership in Mosul and mistreatment of foreign fighters.
Maybe Abu Zubair's replacement will be better for them...
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005
07:50 ||
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#1
most significant - killed by IRAQI FORCES. Who seem to be taking the lead in Mosul.
#2
"On July 27, forces conducted a raid on a safe house in Mosul, arresting six terrorists and finding terrorist propaganda, to include a letter written to Zarqawi. In that letter the author, Abu Zayd, a terrorist operating out of Mosul, complained of the poor leadership in Mosul and mistreatment of foreign fighters."
I suppose that, if he weren't dead, he could say 'I told you so'.
#2
From the photos it looks like batch rather than continous production, which is about what we'd expect. That rectangular box thing looks like heat exchanger (if I recall the name correctly, it's been more than 15 years since I was involved briefly in product development, and never as an engineer)-- the mixture would be pumped in one end, heated while traveling through, then come out the other end for the next step of the process. The carelessness about safety is normal for that part of the world. Mr. Wife came back from his first business trip to Egypt in shock -- the factory workers walked around the plant carrying leaking bags of chemicals on their heads, no one wore shoes, let alone safety shoes, and a huge gaping hole in the mezzanine floor was covered by a piece of cardboard. I don't know if that is typical of non-First World manufacturing, or a manifestation of the Inshallah philosophy.
#7
BigEd, bug spray is nerve agent in a solution not strong enough to hurt most humans. There is some refining done but you could take a normal insecticide and make certain types of nerve agents. Not REAL easy but not extremely difficult, either. I won't go into details here, though.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/15/2005 19:26
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#1
Not mentioned in the article, but a significant part of the mystery is why the radio wasn't used as the plane flew for an hour after whatever incident occured. Other crew members would have known how to use the radio in an emergency. And then what about the two men seen in the cockpit, which must have been well into the hour. Why weren't they effected?
Skin coloration is determined by the amount of pigment in the skin and the blood flowing through it. Blood that is saturated with oxygen is bright red. Blood that has lost its oxygen is dark bluish-red. People who have a large quantity of blood deficient in oxygen tend to take on a bluish discoloration called cyanosis.
Lack of oxygen (such as in suffocation or cyanotic heart disease), abnormal hemoglobin (such as methemoglobinemia) and toxins (such as cyanide) can all produce cyanosis.
Did someone poison an entire aircraft full of people?
#2
The more I think about this, the more poisoning the crew and passengers makes sense. After 9/11 people aren't going to sit back and let a plane be hijacked. You have to incapcitate them. Planes recirculate air. All you need to do is place a toxic gas emitter next to the air extract and the air conditioning system will distribute it throughout the plane for you. The hijackers either need somekind of antidote or their own oxygen.
If I am right all hell will break loose over this.
#3
If a toxin was used plan on never hearing a word of it. No one would fly and the airlines would go out of business. No government is going to let this out if they is true,
#4
The survival of everyone on board depends on just one thing: finding someone on board who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
08/15/2005 1:35
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#5
Pity Aris isn't around, I'd like to know the meaning of the Greek word 'frozen', cos in english it can mean either very cold or immobilized. The former would be the only direct evidence for the decompression theory (i've seen). The latter would be evidence of poisoning.
#6
The terrorist theory doesn't make sense. The point of terrorizing is to make a big show of it, eg. crashing into buildings, explosions, claims of responsibility. Otherwise, it may well just have been another air crash. It may be a botched terror attempt, but I doubt it.
Posted by: Rafael ||
08/15/2005 2:28
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#7
It could be as simple as the 'hijackers didn't know how to turn off the auto-pilot. Remember 9/11, the hijackers only learned how to steer a plane. Cyprus is less than 30 minutes flying time from Israel.
#10
...I'm still inclined to go with 'horrifying accident' here. A decompression accident is VERY survivable IF the guys up front do everything right the first time - no room for mistakes, no 'do-overs'. I know of no other way to say this than to say this bluntly - US, UK, Australian, and Canadian pilots get stuff hammered into them on the simulators on a regular basis to the point where dealing with an accident like this is reflexive - but for the overwhelming majority of the world, sophisticated training such as that mandated by our laws is something they read about in the magazines, and I would be sadly confident that in this case the final verdict would be insufficient training followed by pilot panic.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/15/2005 7:35
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#11
This report says bodies were frozen solid and speculates the airconditioning spread poison gas.
#12
Oxygen masks deployed, one pilot slumped, the other missing, and then two guys show up in the cockpit? The presence of these two was especially mysterious, he added, because by all appearances most of the plane's other occupants were incapacitated.
I'd like to be a fly on the wall when they play the tapes from the black box!
Mebbe OBL will claim responsibility? Why nlt? Claim to cause accidents? Sure, it was allan's will....
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 7:45
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#13
There was also mystery over the last minutes of the flight which was declared "renegade" when it entered Greek air space and failed to make radio contact, causing two F-16 air force jets to scramble to investigate ahh..so that's why the jets were there.
#14
"The F-16s saw two individuals in the cockpit seemingly trying to regain control of the airplane," Roussoupoulos told reporters. It was not known if they were passengers or other crew.
"The F-16s also saw oxygen masks down when they got close to the aircraft. The aircraft was making continuous right-hand turns to show it had lost radio contact."
The Defense Ministry said it suspected the plane's oxygen supply or pressurization system may have malfunctioned, which could have led to death within seconds for ALL on board.
We'll be forced to swallow it, of course, but it's a bit tough to reconcil how they could have ALL died within seconds - yet two were able to enter the cabin and cause the plane to make left hand turns to indicate loss of radio contact.
#16
Most of the bodies recovered from the Cypriot plane that crashed into a mountain near Athens with 121 people on board were "frozen solid," a Greek Defense Ministry source said on Monday.
"Autopsy on passengers so far shows the bodies were frozen solid, including some whose skin was charred by flames from the crash," the source, with access to the investigation, told Reuters.
"A passenger on the doomed plane said in an SMS text to his cousin in Athens: "The pilot has turned blue. Cousin farewell, we're freezing."
The Defense Ministry said it suspected the plane's oxygen supply or pressurisation system may have malfunctioned, which could have led to death within seconds for all on board.
Greek media speculated toxic gas from possible faulty air-conditioning could have incapacitated the two pilots.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005 9:18
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#17
Question for "Bill Nye, The Science Guy" or any other lab coated geek:
At what temp would it take to completely freese an adult body of any weight in an hour?
#19
What's really weird here is how two guys were supposedly up and messing with the controls. Why would they be less affected by what downed the pilots?
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
08/15/2005 11:52
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#20
At 30,000 feet the air temperature is about minus 40F. Limbs and surface skin would freeze, but doubt it extended to body core. They'd be dead from lack of oxygen first.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/15/2005 11:53
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#21
Maybe, a la "The Day After Tomorrow," there was a sudden cold front that froze everything solid because George Bush invaded Iraq for oil and so Dick Cheney's Haliburton stock options would increase in value due to global warming?
Posted by: Tibor ||
08/15/2005 12:21
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#22
It would take an awfully long time to freeze solid. I found a rather compelling article on what it would be like to (nearly) die from hypothermia here.
Cabin pressure failed dramatically PLUS the separate oxygen flow in the pilot's cabin, which was locked. When the pilot stumbled into the passenger's cabin with a blue face it might have been to late. The passengers must have had working oxygen (at least to a certain extent), or nobody could have sent an SMS. The passengers did not die immediately obviously.
The pilots didn't have any oxygen, that's why they couldn't initiate the rapid descent. Since the autopilot was on the plane went on to Athens were the autopilot would make it circle, waiting for manual override necessary for landing. This for more than an hour at an altitude where minus 50°C is typical.
I know what minus 50 is like, we had that in Siberia. Exposed body parts would freeze extremely fast being ALIVE. A dead person would freeze solid quite fast, at least the exterior. I think "frozen solid" would mean that touching the body would feel hard. Doesn't have to mean that the whole body was solidly frozen already.
Some passengers (or the flight attendants) might have tried to perform the descent but may have been unable to override the autopilot. This explains the long circling at high altitude.
Yes that doesn't explain everything. Before stumbling into the passenger cabin the pilot should have performed the descent. This is routine and can be initiated within seconds. It only takes minutes to reach "breathable" altitudes.
#24
It might be a little-known fact that the oxygen masks on airplanes only work for about 10 minutes. When there's a failure, the pilot is supposed to use those 10 minutes to descend to a breathable altitude. What's weird is why they didn't do that.
#25
I suspect the blackboxes will show that the pilot felt nearly incapacitated and left the copilot in charge of descent wile he sought air, but the copilot passed out before completing his mission. Somebody should do time for the failed cockpit oxygen system.
#27
I'd like to know more about the sender of the text messenger. "The pilot is blue and we're freezing" may mean he was in the cockpit to see what was going on. My daughter informs me you only have 1.8 seconds to put on the oxygen mask and it only lasts 10 minutes, and one report said most of the bodies didn't have them on. The text messenger may have been complicit in the plot, whatever it was.
#28
Well, Danielle, looks like you might get your wish, 'cause the cops have arrested him:
Authorities said they believed the man was lying, and his cousin's name was not on the Cypriot government's official list of victims.
It'd be damned odd for him to know about "freezing" that early, if he didn't get a message.
Also, from the same article, the cops have raided Helios's offices; they think Helios is dragging its feet. This report says the cockpit voice recorder was damaged.
#30
New reports say that at least some passengers were alive when the plane crashed.
If the plane circled at high altitude for 11/2 hours passengers would not have survived. If it circled at lower altitude no freezing of the bodies could have occurred.
If the SMS about freezing was fake, then who knows...
It's difficult to speculate without having all the facts.
#31
"It's difficult to speculate without having all the facts."
That's never stopped people before, TGA - especially the media.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/15/2005 18:11
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#32
This quote seems to discount that the bodies were frozen.
"We have performed autopsies on six people. Our conclusion is they had circulation and were breathing at the time of death," Koutsaftis said, but stressed: "I cannot rule out that they were unconscious."
#33
One other point is that the plane's windows weren't frosted, which several experts say would have happened with decompression. Toxicology tests are under way. As far as I am concerned, its definitely poisoning. We should know how and whether its terrorism or accident, soon.
#1
The money quote: Whether Japan would start a war against the United States or against the Soviet Union was a primary concern for Moscow, which wanted Japan to choose war against Washington as the Soviets needed to focus on battling Germany.
#3
The policy of going after the US first made a lot of sense - the US was far away from Japanese targets and the weakest of all the major powers at the beginning of the war.
#4
Did the Soviets cut off the Japanese access to oil and steel? Those seem like pretty belligerent actions to me.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 10:09
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#5
MD: Did the Soviets cut off the Japanese access to oil and steel? Those seem like pretty belligerent actions to me.
The Japanese should have been able to obtain oil and steel from other sources, albeit at higher prices. Japanese forces had pacified big chunks of China by this time - China's oil fields at Dalian in Manchuria (formerly Manchukuo, a Japanese province annexed from China) are still producing oil today. Until recently, when demand from export-related industries forced China to import iron ore from abroad, China was self-sufficient in steel.
Basically, the Japanese invasion of China was an excellent strategic move in an age where China was the only remaining territory not conquered by the major powers. The Japanese overreached when they attacked the US at Pearl Harbor, instead of just going after the overseas possessions of the British, French and Dutch empires in Asia. Without Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt would have had no pretext for going to war with Japan.
I kind of understand why they did it - they wanted to knock out the Pacific fleet in order to conquer the Philippines (then US territory). Why? Because the Philippines was one of the richest territories in the Far East at the time, not the sick man of the region that it is today.
#6
The Japanese should have chosen neither route. If they had stuck to attacking European possessions in the Pacific theater and avoided fighting the USA, Australia, and Russia. In fact they should have made alliances with the three nations to ensure trade and supply routes.
Certainly they would have continued a long nasty fight in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and eventually overstretched into India...
#7
rjschwarz: If they had stuck to attacking European possessions in the Pacific theater and avoided fighting the USA, Australia, and Russia.
I think Australia is the odd man out in that list. Before the American entry into the Pacific War, the Australians were beaten by the Japanese everywhere they fought them. It was the Battle of Coral Sea, fought by the US Navy, that decided whether or not Australia would fall under Japanese rule. If they had conquered Australia, they would have denied the US a base from which major operations in the Western Pacific could be mounted. Note that the Japanese conquest of Australia would not have given Roosevelt a pretext for war, since the US had no mutual defense treaty with Australia at the time.
#8
I agree about Australia, the Japanese could have taken them, but tactically I think it would have been a mistake in the long run. Better to let the Aussies be neutral and get ore or whatever from trade than to risk dragging the US, and England and Dominions into the Pacific once the European theater was over.
I think the Japanese dropped the ball and they were really lucky that they were at the mercy of the US and not the Soviets when the dust settled.
#9
rjschwarz: I think the Japanese dropped the ball and they were really lucky that they were at the mercy of the US and not the Soviets when the dust settled.
Well, they weren't that lucky - Roosevelt insisted on detaching from Japan its provinces on the Asian mainland - Korea and Manchuria - as well as Taiwan. We paid for Roosevelt's decision during the Korean War. And we continue to pay for it today, via impasse over Taiwan and Korea today. A Japan with all three territories would be a solid counterbalance to China, and have a population of about 300 million. Unfortunately, retaining Japan's pre-war territorial integrity was the path not taken.
#10
My understanding is that the oil in China was not sufficient for Japanese appetites and that what they wanted was the Dutch East Indies. The Phillipines had the misfortune to be on the way and Japan could not be confident, given the belligerence of the US, that they would not be used as a base to interdict oil transports to the Home Islands. What they did wrong was to ignore U. S. isolationism and how much of a blind eye we would have turned to further Japanese aggression as long as it wasn't directed at us.
Counterfactual history is fun.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 15:58
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#11
Little did the Nips suspect I had F**ked up every well played defense plan of the Phillipines! I decided to fight the suckers on the beaches, a brilliant but logistically unsupportable plan. I took care of my out numbered counterpart after the war. Had his ass hung.
#12
Yes, I do hate Marines, but hey? It's a living. The refridgerator? A myth, it was a freezer, the Ana, naw... a good friend of the family, the boy? Yeah he's queer has a 3 dollar bill, I fouled him up like my Mommmy did me.
#13
Yes the Phillipines were in an awkward position but invasion but the US was guardedly neutral. It would have been safer to hug the Asian coast and allow the Phillipines to be American than confront the USA when they didn't have to.
Iran yesterday warned the US that any use of force over its nuclear programme would be a "mistake", and told Europe that its attitude would help determine whether it resumes uranium enrichment. "Bush should know that our capabilities are much greater than those of the US," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. "We don't think that the US will make such a mistake."
Bush, whose country is derided in Iran as the "Great Satan", refused to rule out the use of force against Iran over its resumption of nuclear work, which the US charges is a cover for efforts to build the bomb. He said "all options are on the table", in an interview with Israeli television, a line he has used before with regard a potential US response to Iran's nuclear work.
#1
"Bush Carter should know that our capabilities are much greater than those of the US," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. "We don't think that the US will make such a mistake."
They're trolls. Refuse to play their game.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 7:53
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#2
Their capabilities are much greater than ours? I think those guys have been listening to their own bullshit for so long that they actually believe it now. See how they think they controll the whole game, they think they have the EU over a barrel, they think they can come in and swing their sausage around and nobody can do a thing about it. I think they are riding for a fall.
#4
told Europe that its attitude would help determine whether it resumes uranium enrichment
Meaning: if you bend over and let us drive, we'll nuke you last.
#5
the first strike should pulverize the foreign ministry. (Fuel air maybe?)
the second bomb for the president
the third for the parliment of mullahs
oh and obliterate Qom.
#6
Is Iran so unstable that a decapitation strike could do topple it without having to go full-on?
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
08/15/2005 8:39
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#7
I suspect that there are legions of Islamofacists in Iran who would instantly fill any leadership void that happened through a decapitation strike.
Be nice to show them that it can be done though, perhaps that would make the next crew behave better.
Good question. Its not at all clear how unstable it is, given rigid press controls there. My sense is that the exile web sites,(lets put this charitably) in an attempt to balence silence in the MSM, tend to report every whispered rumor of opposition. OTOH there seems to be genuine hostility to the mullahs among the middle class of North Teheran, and the students. And among the ethnic minorities, esp the Kurds, Azeris, Baluchis, and Awazi Arabs. But among the Farsi speakers of the provinces, and the working class of Teheran (IE the majority), I suspect there are alot of fence sitters (as well as SOME diehard support for the regime) I think the new president was chosen to appeal to those groups. A decapitation strike might stir up nationalist feelings (unlike the arab states, Iran really IS a nation) against the US. OTOH if the situation was such that the Mullahs appeared to have taken the first move, that MIGHT be lessened.
#9
I actually believe that if they were organized, acted in a coordinated effort, and were armed with what they could handle -- then the Persians would do 90+% of the work in the wake of a full-scale decap strike. I think they would need SF help with certain locations - that other 10%, such as oil infrastructure, which wouldn't be struck and likely has some permanent level of security. So, if we had the CIA of legend in operation, or if we get enough assistance from others who haven't gutted their intel, especially humint - which is the key to success if working with the Persians, then this would be the easy choice option. The extent to which this is the case is a total unknown - for outsiders. I'll wait and see, but have little doubt that these fools have miscalculated to the point of suicide.
#10
There is equal likelihood that the Persians would unite in opposition to the Great Satan meddling in their affairs and stand four square behind the MMs even longer.
We're going to have to settle in for a MAD session with the MMs for the next 30-40 years till the Persians have their fill of them, just as the Russians got fed up with the Bolshis. The danger will be that the MMs give nukes to terrorists.
We should welcome them to the nuclear club and tell them what the rules are. A nuke goes off any where, any time, we'll assume it was theirs. Then we should begin development of neutron weapons, a program halted by...let me see... ah yes, Jimmah Cahtah. That will cause less damage to the oil fields.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 10:06
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#11
..and told Europe that its attitude would help determine whether it resumes uranium enrichment.
Didn't they already decide to do just that? Looks like they're trying to play the EU like a fiddle. Again.
#14
Technically their options are greater than ours.
Though they may soon have nukes delivered from ballistic missiles, they lack a strategic nuclear triad. This means we have the advantage of assuring their destruction in 2nd strike (or 1st strike for that matter) while they can only strike our bases in the region.
However, they have the option to use unconventional means to attack us (ie nukes for terrorists) in a way that lacks a clear 'return address.' We would never do such a thing for a number of reasons. Therefore, they do have more strategic options than we do.
Still talking smack about this is a mistake.
A 'decapitation strike' is not an option. The government has the legitimacy of being elected, however lame the election might have been. Killing their elected leaders would undermine our democratization drive, removing the force multiplier we get from supporting positive change.
Instead we need a combination of 'people power' and economic reality to get the Guardian Council out of the way before they do something stupid. Iran is rich on oil, yet its economy is a mess. The resistance groups need to begin linking the policies of the mullahs to this sad reality while building bridges to whatever legit (i.e. not controlled by mullahs) military and police units may be able to counter the Basji and Rev Guards when the frustration boils over.
Iran is a tough nut. Maybe if Shroeder loses, we can get some real cooperation from the EU but I'm not holding my breath. We should also not be shy in challenging Iran - up to and including entering its territory - if they are harboring terrorists or entering Iraq illegally. If done right, this will help us in Iraq, in the GWOT and in what needs to be our strategic goal for Iran: sweeping aside the Guardian Council before they do something that compels us to kill them all.
#15
I recall the comment ( Schwarzkopf I think) "After a while all you're doing is making the rubble bounce"
Looks like a good time to prove the theory.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/15/2005 10:43
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#16
Bouncing rubble builds no nukes.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
08/15/2005 11:25
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#17
JAB said: "A 'decapitation strike' is not an option."
Not to be argumentative, but to inform with accuracy, that's your opinion, though breathtakingly stated as fact, and is it not shared by the Administration nor the US Congress.
There have been numerous bits and pieces which could be accumulated into a case of casus belli, thus rendering the analogy that they have an elected government and thus cannot be attacked not only questionable, but likely null and void. There's no automatic safety-zone for "elected" Govts that threaten the world. Sheesh, Hitler was elected.
Indeed, there may be blowback among some Persians if we have to act without their assistance, but in the end, if the choice is to allow these insane IslamoNutz to have (and probably share) nukes - or not piss off some of the Persian people, I don't find that a terribly difficult choice. I think your assertion is, on the surface at least, specious and rather missing the big picture thingy, IMHO.
We also have resolutions passed in both the House and Senate. Hell, even Arnaud de Borchgrave, no fan of Bush, said it in plain language (4th paragraph) over a year ago - as shown in this RB article - referring to the, then, House resolution (HCON 398), which the Senate subsequently echoed in SCON 73 & SCON 81. I haven't followed up to see if they made it a joint resolution, but who cares? Are resolutions by both chambers saying "'all appropriate means' to end Iranian nuclear weapons development" insufficient evidence that your assertion is possibly in error?
We shall see. The warrant is already in Bush's back pocket. It might not be judged the prudent course when the moment of truth arrives, but it is already signed and sealed. I happen to trust Bush to do the right thing - and have confidence that he knows one helluvalot more than either you or I do, not to mention the stones to do what he deems is right. Timing will have a lot to do with it, of course, as nothing happens in a vacuum or when it's most convenient.
I won't argue speculations with you, I'll wait and see.
#18
The democratization drive is a noble effort, but not particularly helpful in the face of an existential threat. The USA will respond to Iran, either before or after a nuclear strike on our forces or homeland. At that point, decapitation is beside the point. The point will be to do whatever it takes to remove Iran's capability to strike again - whatever it takes.
#19
as usual - I'm with .com on teh eficiency and legitimacy of a decap strike. When teh elected leaders threaten war, they just may get it, and any and all belligerants are targets. Since the "holy" men run the nuthouse, they are legitimate targets and should be made examples of. I've no doubt there would be a hue and cry. F*&k em. Make threats and see what happens - lesson learned
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 12:15
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#20
We should not do a decap strike. The leaders of Iran are not some external force imposed on the unknowing, impotent Iranian people by aliens. If we get to the point where we are willing to do a decap on the Iranian leadership, our action will be as much of a message to the next nation that wants to challenge us as it will be an action taken against Iran. If we tell the world, don't worry, we only want the three or 52 top bad guys, but everybody else gets a pass, there is no lesson to be learned about the cost of a nation adopting a bad ideology.
Part of the reason that Japan and Germany saw the light in 1947 was that every German and Japanese had seen first hand how upset we were about what they had done and suffered the consequences first hand. They also saw how we could be if they decided to change their mind. But kicking the shit out of them was a necessary first step. Every time we choke and don't finish the job by utterly destroying our enemy, we pay the price. Germany 1918, Korea 1950 Viet Nam 1975, Iraq 1991, and frankly, Iraq today. Our real problem there is that Turkey prevented the 4ID from stomping on the Sunni Triangle and utterly destroying it. When we utterly destroy an enemy, they learn to see things our way. Any less only allows resentment to brew till another day. We need to convince our enemy, the Iranian people who support the MMs, and there are a lot of them in Iran, that they made a bad choice that they shouldn't repeat.
As a practical matter Bush does not have the political support to do a decap today. If we get to the point where we are willing to do a decap strike, I suspect it will have been as a result of first use by Iran on somebody some where or the public threat to do so. If that happens we should kill every living thing in Iran. That has to be the new rule for the nuclear club. You use nukes first, you die. All of you. Otherwise the MMs will simply be replaced by the crazies who take over Pakistan and we'll be back to where we are today.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 12:39
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#21
Yes, I was indeed expressing my opinion that a 'decapitation strike' is not now an option.
As I noted, I agree that circumstances may change that would bring us into open military conflict with Iran short of a nuclear counterstrike or preemtive strike necessitated by an imminent situation. Given where we are now, though, it would be difficult to cobble together a politically defensible casus belli absent a more concrete provocation (or revelation of such), especially after we based the Iraq war on WMD that ultimately turned out to be less of a threat than estimated. I trust Bush too, but the President must operate within the constraints of what is politically feasible even if he has the 'warrant' already in his pocket.
Even if we do enter into open conflict short of nukes, I suspect we'll go after the mullahs, nuke sites, Rev Guards, air defense and -- from what I've read as I'm no military expert -- a couple strategic points in the Straits before we hit the PM.
#22
Re #10 (Mrs. Davis): "We're going to have to settle in for a MAD session with the MMs for the next 30-40 years..."
No, they won't have enough nukes to destroy us for a long, long time. We will have years to wipe them out before they are capable of a large-scale attack.
Re #14 (JAB): "The government has the legitimacy of being elected..."
Yes, and Saddam was elected too. The mullahs disqualify their opposition before the ballots are even printed.
Re #14 (JAB): "Maybe if Shroeder loses, we can get some real cooperation from the EU..."
Pointless. The EU was all talk and no action even before France threw the constitutional process into chaos. Terror attacks outside the U.S./U.K. are just going to stoke appeasement. "Can't we all just be friends?"
Re #19 (Frank G): "there would be a hue and cry. F*&k em."
I'll take hue and cry over a nuke detonation in a U.S. port any day. F*&k em.
Re #20 (Mrs. Davis): "We should not do a decap strike. The leaders of Iran are not some external force imposed on the unknowing, impotent Iranian people by aliens."
To me, that's all the more reason for a prompt decap to set them way back. And a decap using nukes. The Iranian people and Islam in general both need need an object lesson in which civilization is in charge and which civilization is going to stay in charge. Pardon me -- my western imperialism is showing.
#23
Darrell, Agree with your western imperialism. That is exactly why a decap should not be done. It will not get that message across to a broad swath of the Islamic world. They need to understand there is down side for them personally if they pursue these policies. A decap doesn't send that message.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 13:33
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#24
I'm baffled -- how could reducing Qom and a dozen other places to dust and spreading the fallout across Iran NOT send a personal message of the downside?
I mentioned it here way back that I had a friend who took a backpacker-style vacation in Iran - it was in fall 2002, I believe. He stayed a month (Aramcons have the $ and the time to do it right, heh) and traveled fairly widely and, as is his nature, spent as much time chatting folks up as sightseeing. He came back with two solid observations: first that if the US were to strike, he figured there would be some nationalistic feeling stirred up, and second that he was amazed by how pro-Western everyone was - especially pro-US. They were not Mullah fans, they ignored them, in fact, out in the provinces.
Observation: this was immediately after Khatami had won by a landslide, obviously before the Mullahs caught on to the fact that they needed to control the elections. The people were full of pride in having elected a President who was a "reformer" and a Majlis with many "reformers" to back him up in liberalizing Iran. So they were still believers in their "democracy"- and rightfully proud of making the "process" work for them.
Observation: There is a major youthful population bubble, as has been pointed out before, much like our Baby Boomers. They are currently in the teens to mid 20's range and most are directly attributable to the Ayatollah Khomeini's "revolution" in '79 (the math is there) which banned all forms of birth control. Their numbers are not insignificant and I do not know where anyone divines heavy support for the MM's. I don't buy it - even the documentaries I've seen since returning to the US substantiate the assertion that the Mullahs do not enjoy wide support.
Observation: Immediately after this period, the Mullahs disqualified all of the Majlis "reformers", replaced them with their own, and pulled Khatami's teeth, making him a hood ornament. I have zero doubt that they feel a lot less pride and nationalistic fervor, today.
Observation: The youth have received a lot of bloody noses in their attempts to protest. They don't stand a chance against the Mullah's thugs. They must harbor serious resentment over the deaths and injuries they've suffered for trying to exercise the "democracy" they thought was theirs.
Observation: In the most recent election cycle, these people stayed away in droves - and the entire process was a sham - the Mullahs had the game down pat, this time.
Now, letting these percolate for a minute or two, don't we want to try to cooperate with these people? I do. Somehow, some way, I do. My final $0.02.
#26
That's not a decap in my book, that's a small nuclear attack. A decap is like when we went after Saddam at the restaurant just before the fighting broke out. Small focused attack that takes out only the targets. Your decap, while nuclear, is still directed to the leadership, not the people.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 14:09
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#27
Thanks -- I understand now, Mrs. Davis. I see your points. I was assuming that a decap would be harsh enough to preclude any prompt, major retaliation. A "Saddam at the restaurant" strike would be worthless. Especially given multiple mullahs.
#28
Some may find this link of interest. I do not see a decap as some little restaurant boom or two. I see it as Shock & Awe II - added on top of what you find under Air Strikes at the link.
#31
I think we should reopen diplomatic relations and send in Ambassador Jimmy Carter. That way if they grab the embassy our hands aren't tied, he can help them build houses that won't fall over in Earthquakes and you just know they'll be begging for us to withdraw him after a couple of days so we'll have some bargaining pressure.
#32
RC - Out of ~68 Million? Yeah, they can field some armed thugs to beat up the college kids. Gee, guess we'll have to nuke the lot of 'em, then. Seems to be the consensus.
#33
Since you've upped it to $.06, I'll just say I agree with .com that our best strategy is cooperating with the disaffected youth to overthrow the MMs. I doubt a decap would advance that strategy. But I'll leave that call up to the government employees who speak Farsi.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
08/15/2005 15:46
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#34
I should remain silent but I can't 20 + years of death to America and proxy and direct provocations and acts of war against the US are enough for us to deal with the Mad Mullahs today. That said we are going to have to go at this in a quite different way than we would wish. No massive attacks on Iran in the near future. We have to go through all the same gathering of obvious and irrefutable facts we did with Iraq and all the same obstacles tossed up by the EU and the Iranians fellow travelers. Only after we do that can we act. When we do act we will have to fight the same 5th column we are fighting right now.
#35
what about a strike aimed at "new defense minister of Iran, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, who was the commander of Iranâs Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon at the time of the bombing that killed 241 US Marines"
#37
RC - Out of ~68 Million? Yeah, they can field some armed thugs to beat up the college kids. Gee, guess we'll have to nuke the lot of 'em, then. Seems to be the consensus.
Where the fuck did I say that?
Or are you assuming because I asked a question that raises an uncomfortable fact -- there are Iranians who support the Mad Mullahs, and enough of them to keep the Mullahs in power -- that I must be in the "nuke 'em all" crowd?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2005 16:11
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#38
Speaking through my hat, it seems to me that a strike to remove the Mullahcracy would have to be paralleled by destruction of the Republican Guards in their barracks, if we are to give the younger generation a chance to take back their country. The impression I've gotten is that they are lovely and idealistic, but have bought into the whole non-violence philosophy -- appropriate for a functioning democracy, but not the violent oligarchy in power there.
#39
Re #32 & #37:
"Gee, guess we'll have to nuke the lot of 'em, then."
"...in the 'nuke 'em all' crowd..."
I don't see the "nuke 'em all" crowd here, except in comments 15 and 16 which were not exactly deep thoughts. Please don't wreck the thread by polarizing it.
#40
There are a few of us around who feel that using nuclear weapons to demonstrate resolve against an aggressive Islamic nuclear threat is a legitimate use of those weapons. I am one of them. And I detest the way people often interpret that as a "nuke 'em all" stance.
The genie is out of the bottle. It has been for 60 years. The U.S. has pumped untold billions into nuclear weapons and delivery systems. I think there are appropriate times to use them. I grew up doing "duck and cover" drills in elementary school, and I don't want my grandchildren to be doing them. The mullahs would gleefully exterminate us. I'm simply advocating that we vaporize the mullahs and their main forces before they act on their professed inclinations. Call me "The Great Satan" if you will, but note that there's a "Peace Park" in Hiroshima today and Japan is not our enemy.
#41
I think Bin laden and others united in jihad have at least some of Russia's missing nukes already. Zawahiri's last video clearly stated the stated objective is to live in a Jew-free Palestine. The "American Holocaust" is being delayed until Iran's nukes are ready to go. With the American mainland smoldering under a mushroom cloud, Iran could take out our military bases in the region and handle the Israelis. The mad mullahs could effectively rule the world. We need to pre-emptively obliterate any rogue terrorists and anyone associated with them quietly wherever we can find them first. Even Venezuela, Cuba, and Argentina seem to be signing onto their agenda of anti-Americanism, so allowing Iran to stall out is very dangerous, in my opinion. Putting neutron bombs on the fast-track is a great idea...just think how effectively they could preserve the Temple Mount while eliminating the al-Aqsa mosque. Give the settlers heads up and solve the Islamic problem once and for all! Bible prophecy says Israel will one day extend to the Euphrates, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Mixed. Reports I've seen mention foreigners including Afghans, Palestinans, and Lebanese Shi'ites.
The volunteers (Baseej) technically come under control of the Revolutionary Guard. But the Baseej were reportedly given sole authority to quell civil disturbances after regular IRGC (Pasdaran) units refused to act against civil uprisings about 10-11 years ago.
#43
Wow I don't know who the dangerous people are sometimes; we have the crazy Bin Laden lot to take of, but reading some comments here there seems to be a lot of religious freaks around as well.
comment #41 Bible prophecy says Israel will one day extend to the Euphrates, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Get a grip, religion is a way of controlling the masses and is also a cause of all the shit that is happening now !
OH, ADMIN LAY OFF THE AMAZON COOKIES !!!
Posted by: SAM COHEN ||
08/15/2005 18:35
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#44
Wow I don't know who the dangerous people are sometimes;
Generally speaking, it's the ones who are blowing sh*t up and chopping peoples heads off. But that's more of a guideline than a hard, fast rule.
#49
Darrell - I was not trying to wreck the thread. I put at least as much thought into my comments in this thread as anyone else, I believe. And this topic has been hammered to a bloody stump many times before, though not in much depth for a coupla months. Today we're just sorta bringing it up to date a bit - after mucho rope-a-dope. The EU3 are dupes, the Mullahs continue apace trying to kill their people, and the only doubts revolve around whether the US or Israel will try to defang them -- and whether or not the effort will be more than whacking just facilities, i.e. will it include whacking the MMs. Happy happy joy joy, the thread lives.
#50
Sam "ALLCAPS" Cohen - Got a problem? You be tinkin' you be a greater tinker than de Prez Bush? You one of those non-religious folks who think the religious folks are somehow possessed of lesser intellects?
#51
The EU3 are dupes, the Mullahs continue apace trying to kill their people, and the only doubts revolve around whether the US or Israel will try to defang them
Nice and succinct .com, that's really all there is to say about this.
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 19:53
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#56
Also taking the thread on a slight tangent; People donât always cause suffering because of religion, look at the concentration campsâ¦
Yes, the ones of the Second Reich in South West Africa i.e. Shark Island overseen by Franz Ritter von EPP, mentor of Ernst Rohm and Him.
Nothing to do with religion though.
Religion is sometimes used as an excuse for a myriad of crimes, but they are still crimesâ¦
Posted by: SAM COHEN ||
08/15/2005 19:57
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#57
All comments come with a Life Guard and Water Wings.
#58
You one of those non-religious folks who think the religious folks are somehow possessed of lesser intellects?
Lol. If so, then you're the fool.
One last comment.
Itâs easy to provoke a controlled reaction of someone who has a one track mind.
And remember, fundamentalism on all sides destroys the amity between people.
Goodnight.
Posted by: SAM COHEN ||
08/15/2005 20:25
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#59
Regardless of Biblical prophesy, Israel does not want to rule to the Euphrates -- look at all the trouble they have with just the Palestinian territories.
#60
Lol, what does it do to your brain fart pet theory when you factor in that I'm an atheist, sonny? *poof* Stick to facts, save your prejudices, and you'll go far. Er, make that further.
#61
You know, I have an opinion about everything. Almost. For some reason solutions to Iran just don't seem right. Holding my breath for their democracy movement to finally sweep the Mullah's out of power is starting to look more and more unlikely.
#62
they need a nudge - I'm hoping it's GPS-guided
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/15/2005 22:27
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#63
unlike the arab states, Iran really IS a nation - LH, I was about to agree with you until that statment. Iran is a mini-empire and looks a whole lot like Yugoslavia did and in MVHO opinion will meet the same fate.
#65
Sam Cohen said "Totally agree %100, but you missed a small point, it's also done in the name of GOD"
Not quite, it's done in the name of Allah. There is a difference whether you want to admit it or not. Ignoring facts is very dangerous these days. Just listen to our enemies. Allah Akbar is not just a favorite saying. They live by it, and even worse, they die by it.
#66
LOL. SAM COHEN is a 14-yr-old who feels all grown up now because he/she has boldly proclaimed her/his independence from the manacles of theology. That'll teach Daddy!
HYDERABAD â A Pakistani woman is recuperating in a Hyderabad hospital after undergoing bypass surgery following a massive heart attack.
Noor Jahan Begum, 54, from Karachi had come to Hyderabad to attend the marriage of her niece. On July 30 she suffered a massive heart attack. She was rushed to the Apollo Hospital where the doctors found that she was suffering from "high risk acute coronary syndrome" and three of her arteries were blocked. The doctors said her condition was critical as one of the three arteries was hundred per cent blocked and the other artery was ninety nine per cent blocked.
Dr Vijay Dikshit, who led the team of doctors, said that they had to go for bypass surgery as she was not fit for angioplasty. Noorjahan, who is recuperating at the Apollo Hospital said, "I can never forget the way the doctors and the nurses here have treated me and looked after me. This is second life for me." "I though I will not survive", recalls Noor Jahan, thanking Allah and the doctors for saving her life.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2005
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#1
Lucky she was in India. Would have probably died if left in the hands of Pakistani medical facilities.
Posted by: john ||
08/15/2005 17:52
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Chairman of the Syrian-Saudi Businessmen Council Basel al-Ghalayini has stressed that the Syrian-Saudi economic and trade relations are witnessing a remarkable development through the increase of the Saudi concern to invest in Syria.
In a statement to Lebanese ad-Diyar newspaper published Sunday, Ghalayini pointed out that volume of the Saudi investments in Syria have exceeded USD 500 million, asserting that the number will increase by entering the Saudi new investments to Syria.
He stressed that Syria is destination of Saudi jihadis tourists due to its access to Iraq beautiful natural and archeological sites.
#2
Only if Iran signs the papers in time for the closing.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2005 9:03
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#3
Surprizingly, Syria is also a place that Saudis go to escape religious intolerance.
Even though the sharia proponents exist in Syria and are getting more and more pushy, Syria is a land of religious freedom compared to the Magic Kingdom. Thus 'academies' of Sufi, Shia, Druze, Alawite, etc. study have recently been thriving in Syria and many Saudis, who would not be able to study these forms in their homeland, visit Syria for study.
#1
This grave dates from the period just after the election. There is news here that the MSM do not want you to see: Iraqi forces located the gravesite and arrested the perps, killing one of them in the process.
The Iraqi forces were not in control in this area six months ago and they are now. Slowly, painfully, and at enormous cost, Iraqi forces are gaining in strength and confidence. The Michael Moore Minutemen have only one hope now, that their media-left fifth column in the United States can turn public opinion by capitalizing on atrocities committed for that very purpose, and force a US withdrawal before Iraqi forces are strong enough to stand on their own. It may already be too late for them.
#2
The only problem,AC,is that if we pull out now it will mean blood shed on a horrific scale.Ten's,if not hundreds of thousands will die.But when all is said and done the Sunnies of Iraq will cease to exist as a viable entity.
Israel has formally begun its withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip by outlawing the continued presence of Jewish settlers in the Palestinian territory. "This is the final closing of the Kissufim road into Gaza. From this moment on, all entrance and stay in Gaza is prohibited for Israelis by law," army spokeswoman Major Sharon Feingold said after Sunday midnight. "Tomorrow morning from very early the plan is to go into Gaza and ask them (the settlers) to kindly come with us," she added.
The 8000-9000 Jewish settlers who have made Gaza their home have a 48-hour grace period to leave before Israeli police and soldiers begin to forcibly evacuate all 21 settlements in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday. Eviction notices to all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four of 120 in the West Bank went into effect at midnight (2100 GMT Sunday), setting the clock ticking on a 48-hour grace period to cross into Israel. But Israel's military early on Monday cancelled an operation to deliver by hand eviction notices to individual homes in six Gaza settlements, saying it wanted to respect the wishes of the settlers there. Military spokeswoman Feingold said the settlers at the six locations preferred to receive the notices in the mail.
Settlers at several of the settlements planned to block the entrances to prevent soldiers from entering with the notices. Notices were to be distributed to the other 15 Gaza colonies on Monday morning as planned, said Feingold. Israel is also to dismantle another four enclaves in the northern West Bank before recalling all its soldiers from Gaza by early October, drawing a line under a 38-year occupation.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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#1
'Israel has formally begun its withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip..."
Gaza or the original Hebrew name Azah is Jewish Land. There was occupied by Jews since about 3000 years. But when the Islamic-Nazi cleric of Jerusalem starting preaching Jew hatred in the 1920's the Jews were run for the life form Assah and for many other areas before being killed!.
Now who is occupying somebody's else land?
#2
Don't you realize, CA, that when the cloven hoof of Islam is placed on a land, it is forever part of the Ummah, regardless of any temporary occupations afterwards. Kind of like the Brezhnev doctrine.
Egyptian security forces have arrested three suspected members of a cell involved in the July bombings in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh that killed at least 88 people, the Al-Ahram daily said yesterday. The semi-official newspaper said security forces were searching for others who assisted or helped plan the three attacks on July 23. âPolice raided some of the hide-outs and they found, in a farm in El-Arish (north Sinai), about a ton of high explosives and are comparing it to the substances used in the three attacks,â the newspaper reported without giving a source.
I'd call a ton of explosives pretty good evidence they'd found some Bad Guyz...
Interior Minister Habib El-Adli said yesterday that security forces had uncovered details about the Sharm El-Sheikh attack, identifying perpetrators and arresting the main suspects, the official MENA news agency reported. He did not give details.
"I can say no more! You never saw me!"
Al-Ahram said one of three arrested was working as a guard in a farm owned by a Palestinian living in El-Arish. His arrest led to the other two being detained, it said. Authorities suspect the Sharm El-Sheikh attacks and bombings last October in and around Taba, another Sinai resort town, were all the work of a group of Bedouin based in northern Sinai. Hundreds of people were detained for questioning in the El-Arish area after the Taba attack. Al-Ahram said that security officials traced what it described as a âterrorist cellâ by following tracks of two vehicles carrying explosives from central Sinai to Sharm El-Sheikh. It said three members of the cell died at the sites of the Sharm blasts. After the explosions, it had not been immediately clear if some perpetrators had escaped.
Cannon fodder explodes. Controllers and masterminds and logistics cells live on, to groom more cannon fodder.
The first cell member blew himself up in a suicide attack when he rammed the Ghazala Gardens hotel in a pickup truck and a second died in a pickup in a market street, Al-Ahram said. A third was killed when he blew up a bag near a taxi rank, it said. Hide-outs related to the suspects were investigated in the areas of El-Arish and Al-Qantara, both in north Sinai, where weapons and explosives were seized, the newspaper said. On Friday, two police were wounded in Sinai in a clash with a group suspected of involvement in the attacks. Officials said at the time one man from the group of about 15 was arrested, as well as a woman believed to be the wife of another member.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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The Guardian version of the story Fred is posting from al-Jizz. Funny, they aren't much different.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)- Iran accused the United States and Britain on Sunday of stoking the unrest that has broken out among its Kurdish and Arab minorities.
I certainly hope we have.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi offered little evidence for his allegations, but he suggested that Washington and London were giving encouragement to Arabs and Kurds who have rioted in western and northwestern Iran. ``This is not acceptable at all,'' Asefi told a news conference.
Under U.S. protection, Iraq's Kurds have enjoyed autonomy and a booming economy, fueled partly by trade with Iran. Iraq's ascendant Kurds engage in contacts - including lucrative exports of illegal liquor and other goods - with their kin across the border.
The Iranian Kurds are beginning to ask such important questions as, "why do my cousins in Iraq have all the luck?" and "why can't we have what they have?"
On Thursday, Human Rights Watch said at least 17 people had been killed and hundreds more injured and arrested in anti-government protests in Iran's Kurdish northwest. The New York-based rights group blamed the killings on Iranian security forces and said their indiscriminate shooting had also wounded hundreds of people.
Asefi also said April riots in Iran's western Khuzestan province that left at least one protester dead were encouraged by the British presence in Iraq. Khuzestan borders southern Iraq, where security is under the control of British troops in the multinational force. ``Some provocateurs were trained in a part of Iraq which is under control of Britain,'' Asefi said. ``We have made objections and warned Britain about the repercussions of such behavior.''
"Youse guys better quit it! Dat stuff only goes one direction, see!?"
In Kurdistan, the unrest rocked several towns over the past month. The killings and arrests led to more protests, with shopkeepers shuttering their businesses and the government closing down two newspapers and detaining journalists and activists. Security forces were also said to be among those hurt and killed in the unrest.
Residents have said undeclared martial law is in force. ``Peace has returned to the area but security is tight. Dozens of activists are still in jail,'' said Kurdish activist Vahed Qaribian.
Human Rights Watch said the security forces wounded hundreds when they opened fire in Mahabad on demonstrators who were protesting the police's killing of a young Kurdish activist, Shivan Qaderi, on July 9. Iranian media have suggested the protests were rooted in the poverty that remains prevalent in the Iranian Kurdish areas.
Yes, poverty is the cause. And lack of human rights. And political repression. And ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2005
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According to various mil forums, the purpose of Russia-China's recently announc MILEX is to test the nations' cability at combined opers, for when a foreign nation requests milfor assistance due to Terror-induced domestic anarchies and destabilzns. And, since 9-11, Commie Asia has directly or indirectly belabeled the USA the world's greatest terrorist state and instigator of terror, we all know what Texan-led Global hyperpower is intended - methinks the USDOD had better prep for nuclearized battlefield confrontations with the Commie Airborne and other elites, ala "Local/War Zone" strategems and Nuclearized "Active Defense", read "SEIZE, HOLD, and NUKE [nuclearize]"! The PLA reportedly held recent brigade-sized milex's in the Mongolian desert, read IRAN-MIDDLE EAST, while the exercise areas for the combined Russo-Chicom milex is more similar to NORAM-ALCAN than North Korea, read US MilTech-minimizing high mountains/ridges, deep forests, Riverine Valleys, Cold Seas and Cold Weather. Where China is concerned, North Korea can be sacrificed as a bloody diversionary holding front while the PLA focuses on Taiwan, Japan and ALCAN,espec Taiwan and ALCAN, i.e. "attacking where US forces ain't". It behooves the Commies to successfully war ags America before GMD becomes fully operational - right now the USN needs a minima of SIX CVBG's in the WESTPAC asuming limited tactical nuke war breaks out, the US does not yet have a draft, while the Canadians can barely afford their own armed forces or best units let alone help Dubya defend NORAM andor Alaska. For now the Commies don't have to nuke Washington, they only have to frighten American politicians and voters about the propects of conventional combat escalating to limited nuke war, and how GOP-led, Fascist-for-Communism Fascist America's policies on the WOT is to blame!? THE REAL BATTLE FOR AMERICA IS TO BE FOUGHT IN THE HALLS OF CONGRESS AND BIG MEDIA/MSM. NO MATTER WHAT OCCURS IN IRAN, NK, ETC.HILLARY WANTS TO BE POTUS, AND SHE WANTS TO BE POTUS O'ERA 1990's-style AMERICA, NOT THE LEADER OF A WAR-/NUKE-DAMAGED LAND!?
#2
What's the complaint here? Do the mullahs honestly believe they can promote and support terrorism and that their intended victims will simply bend over?
he suggested that Washington and London were giving encouragement to Arabs and Kurds who have rioted in western and northwestern Iran. "This is not acceptable at all"
Damn straight it's not acceptable!
Mere riots? Hell, we're not encouraging riots, we're encouraging all-out revolution. And your sorry ass dangling from the nearest lamppost at the earliest opportunity.
Loser.
Freedom and democracy for the Persian people!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/15/2005 16:23
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TEHRAN - Hundreds of Iranian students pelted the British embassy with eggs, tomatoes and stones on Sunday, in protest of Europeâs call for Iran to permanently freeze its nuclear program.
Funny, the headline didn't say anything about 'stones'.
Some 300 students, who gathered in front of British embassy in downtown Tehran, chanted âDeath to England,â and âNuclear energy is our obvious right.â Anti-riot police blocked the students from entering the embassy grounds, but some demonstrators threw eggs and other objects at the building.
The students issued a statement urging Iran to pull out of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, resume nuclear activity and cut negotiations with the so-called EU-3 Britain, France and Germany.
And the Mad Mullahs are slaves to the desires of the 'students', you know.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2005
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I kinda expect this rent a crowd stuff, after all it's the middle east. Protesting is OK as long as it's not anti-mullah run government or for minority rights then the Revolutionary Gaurds just shoot the protesters. Otherwise they claim they have no control over the situation.
The whole thing over pulling out of the NPT is for EU3 consumption. Iran has no intentions of living up to the NPT so it really doesn't matter.
#2
What are these "kids" learning in them thar schools. Reading, writing, and rock throwin'--the three Rs.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005 0:40
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The British need to get their people out of that embassy NOW. ASAP! This very thing escalated into a hostage crisis for America back in Carter's term '79. And the hostage taker then is now President of Iran.
They may hold the British as hostages to prevent strikes on their Nuke plants.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2005 1:21
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Fight fire with fire. Throw pork chops at the protestors.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
08/15/2005 1:30
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I kinda expect this rent a crowd stuff
I suspect this is not a rent-a-crowd. They dislike the west as much as they dislike the Mullahs. Wouldn't be that hard to find volunteers for a good ol' fashion' stone throwing.
Posted by: Rafael ||
08/15/2005 2:22
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#7
They chanted "Nuclear energy is our obvious right"? - hmm, well that just trips off the tongue!
RG has a point, although I doubt that having any kind of hostages will prevent the US and Israel doing what needs to be done. And I'm quite sure that the Embassy staff know that.
What assholes these people are.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
08/15/2005 3:22
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#8
First eggs, and eventually, blindfolds, until the government changes (referring to 1979-80, not 3/11). Except when the election came, Carter was not re-elected - the mullas got Reagan
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 8:04
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Bobby :
The best cartoon of the era was drawn by the late Jeff MacNelly. The day after the inaguration when the hostages were released. MacNelly's cartoon depicted a rat with Jummy Carter's face, his tail just released by a cat with Ayatollah Khomeni's face. The "Carter-Rat" says, "You see I knew my paitence would pay off." Only thing is what the "Carter Rat" could not see but the "Ayatollah Cat" (who looked frightened) could, was a strutting bulldog with Reagan's face coming towards them...
After decades surrounded by the largest Jewish settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians in the enclave of Mawasi are planning to celebrate their recovered freedom with an all-night beach party. âWhen they leave, we will build a large hotel on the seafront which will be called the Peace Hotel,â says Iyad, dreaming out loud from his impoverished village locked in the heart of Gush Katif. He stops talking when a group of young settlers walks by from the nearby Jewish center of Neve Dekalim on their way to the beach with their M-16 assault rifles strapped around their backs. Tension suddenly fills the air as the two groups exchange icy looks. The elders and the women freeze into a silence broken only by a child playing the flute in the background. The young settlers mumble a few jokes in Hebrew and continue their walk in the dunes.
âThis is our daily life. We are trapped in our houses and it got even worse with the second intifada. When they finally leave, I will climb on to my roof and plant the Palestinian flag,â says Mawasi Mayor Ahmed Mustafa Al-Majaida. Mawasi is a little cluster of shanty houses and palm trees growing out of the sand, surrounded by razor wire. From Mawasi, residents can see the adjacent beach settlement of Shirat Hayam. âWhen they leave we will be able to sleep with no fear. For the moment it is impossible to rest,â Majaida said. But despite the imminent evacuation on Aug. 17 of the Gaza Stripâs 21 settlements, the Palestinians of Mawasi are still not sure if they can believe the settlers are really going. âWe have never believed Israeli promises and this time, it seems they have few options left. But we can never be sure until theyâve left completely,â Abu Ahmad says.
This clericâs plan to celebrate the historic withdrawal is clear. âI will go to the beach with my children and my wife. We will organize a huge party and then sleep on the sand and under the stars, with nothing to fear.â The 8,000-strong villageâs notables were due to hold a meeting to coordinate an emergency action plan for the immediate aftermath of the pullout. âWe will remain locked up in our homes until they leave. We donât want them to see us and think that we are trying to provoke them. Weâre afraid that, out of spite, they will decide to attack us and destroy our houses,â says Iyad.
Spreading over around 20 square kilometers, the Palestinian community is boxed in by fortified settlements, Israeli army positions and checkpoints. The nearest Palestinian city, Khan Yunis, is barely three kilometers away. But it can take days to get there and back. The main obstacle is the Al-Tufah military checkpoint, known as the worst in the Palestinian territories.
When the evacuation starts, Mawasi will also lose the Jewish farmers who employed its residents but nobody here appears hesitant about trading a paltry income for a long-lost freedom. The inhabitants of Mawasi are banking on olives, fruits and fishing to start their own businesses and sell their produce to the rest of the Gaza Strip. After decades in their virtual prison, sandwiched between Gush Katifâ settlements, the inhabitants of Mawasi are not too worried about the restrictions that could still exist after the pullout on their movement in and out of the Gaza Strip.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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"Occupation" is probably the best thing that ever happened to them... I see a dark future for these fools.
#2
Don't worry, Scoot. I'm sure W. will be waiting with an armful of big, fat foreign aid checks for our pals the Pals.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
08/15/2005 1:33
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I will climb on to my roof and plant the Palestinian flag.... and I will expect that Peace Hotel to be built by my government...and when it does not, for the first time, the crazy little thought will enter my head that maybe my own government is to blame. I'll shake it off, and find a new way to blame Israel, but for a brief moment, it will enter my pea-brain that perhaps my own government is to blame.
#6
Wonderful picture, Poison Reverse. Is that the Rennaisance artist, or someone recent? OT, I saw your post about how to do bullet points -- thanks much! I do appreciate your thoughtfulness -- but I'm afraid it's too complicated for me to remember. I'll just stick with my small o's. ;-) On the other hand, given the Rantburg audience of thousands, I'm sure many will have benefitted from your advice, so it won't have been wasted.
#7
Well, I guess you can't fault his optimism - the idea of a 'Peace Hotel' in the Gaza strip is not something that would have ocurred to me.
I almost feel sorry for them, they genuinely think that all the problems they've had for the last 40,400,4000 years were down to the Joos. What a major wake-up call they're going to have when the Hamas psychos come in and start running the show - at least the Israelis didn't kill people for being 'collaborators'.
Come August the 18th, the Palestinians are (in theory) going to have noone to blame for their woes but themselves. It will be interesting to see how they do manage to blame any setback on the Joos.
One last thought .... âI will go to the beach with my children and my wife. We will organize a huge party and then sleep on the sand and under the stars, with nothing to fear.â really? Sorry Pal, but I can't see that happening for a long time to come - and it's not going to be the Israelis that are going to make you fearful.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
08/15/2005 9:31
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if they at least have aspirations that conflict with Hamas, thats a start. But I agree, this is probably the BEGINNING of the hardest times for the Pals of Gaza, not the end.
#9
tw,
The picture is not a Rennaisance. It's simply an optical illusion.
IMO, using "o's" for bullet points are ugly. Let's keep RB purdy. I agree, that it's hard to remember.
I think Fred should add it on the comment window as a "copy & paste" option, along with, Link, Bold, Italic, & Strike. Anyone agree?
--Copy and paste this (li class="MsoNormal" style="") to the RB comment window. But, don't copy the parentheses. Then, add "<" right before "li" and ">" right after second quotation mark This will give you your bullet point.
Add a space after the greater than sign and type your comment.
For example, this how it would look like with 3 bullet points.
#10
The hard part for the gaza paleos is they'll have nobody close to hate. They may find living with themselves far worse than they could have imagined given the propensity for violence and idiocy.
#12
And who gets the nice houses the Israelis left behind? And which gang gets which old army positions and the checkpoint cash cows? Things could get lively very quickly . ..
Posted by: James ||
08/15/2005 14:11
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James,
Its my understanding (or at least my hope) that Israel will destroy the houses left behind. I read that Israel and the paleo 'govenment' agreed to that.
I think Iyad and his buddies is going to be in for a few Rude suprises when the house(s) he has been drooling over go kaboom and Hamass and the others starts to looking for easier targets to satisfy their addiction for innocent blood.
"And there will be a great crying and gnashing of teeth!!"
#14
Pity. But now that you mention it, yes, I'd forgotten that they did agree to boom the houses. Easier to blame the Jews for the missing houses than to try to explain why the gang bosses get the goodies.
Posted by: James ||
08/15/2005 21:49
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Iran has accused the United States and Britain of stoking the unrest that has broken out among its Kurdish and Arab minorities.
I confess. It was me...
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi offered little evidence for his allegations on Sunday, but suggested that Washington and London were giving encouragement to the Arabs and Kurds who have rioted in western and northwestern Iran. "According to some information, the Americans intervened in northwestern Iran. This is not acceptable at all," Asefi told a news conference. "We will voice our objection in this regard soon."
Asefi said the United States is stuck in Iraq and is trying to divert attention from its plight by sowing unrest across the border. Under US protection, Iraq's Kurds have enjoyed autonomy and a booming economy, fuelled partly by trade with Iran. Iraq's ascendant Kurds engage in contacts - including lucrative exports of illegal liquor and other goods - with their kin across the border. On Thursday, Human Rights Watch said at least 17 people had been killed and hundreds more injured and arrested after anti-government protests broke out in Iran's Kurdish northwest. The New York-based rights group blamed the killings on the Iranian security forces, and said their indiscriminate shooting had also wounded hundreds of people. Asefi also said a spate of previous riots in Iran's western Khuzestan province was encouraged by the British presence in Iraq. In April, minority Arabs rioted against the government, leaving at least one protester dead and several injured. More than 200 people were arrested. Khuzestan abuts southern Iraq, where security is under the control of British soldiers in the US-led force.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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Of course ... we are to blame for everything - be it good our evil as we are the #2 god - Satan.
But we have all their souls for ever and ever and ever to torment.
#4
Seems like a good way to dispose of those capture shaped charge mines would be to donate them to the cause(cause if it causes the MM's pain it cause me great joy)
#5
Well, since we claim they are interfering in Iraq, it's only fair that they claim we are interfering in Iran. Have they found any M-16's and Claymores yet? Bradley Fighting Vehicles? No? USAF 500-pound bombs wired up as IED's? M-1 rifles? 1903 Springfields?
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 7:33
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It's my fault. I've been prank-calling Iran.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
08/15/2005 8:37
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According to some information, the Americans intervened in northwestern Iran. This is not acceptable at all
Which is? The "some information" or the alleged intervention?
MOGADISHU, Rival militias in arid southwestern Somalia battled Saturday for control over a village with pastures and wells. Twelve combatants died, and hundreds of residents fled, according to those in the area.
Golly. Why am I not feeling broken up at all? From whence come these strong feelings of apathy?
The 2 1/2-hour clash began early Saturday, when Yontar community fighters attacked the village of Idale in a bid to seize it from the Hubeyr community. Hundreds of people fled their homes in the Bai region before the fighting ended at dawn, elder Salimow Sheikh said. Combatants used assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, Liban Mohamed Nageye, a nurse, said in a radio interview from a neighboring village. He said 12 fighters died.
Twelve more boneheads died for a patch of dirt.
Yes. It's another pointless battle fought over an objective of no value by people who have nothing to do with their lives.
Somalia has had no functioning central government since clan-based warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Warlords then turned on each other, plunging the country of 7 million into chaos.
Actually, it plunged long ago, measured in geological terms ...
... where it remains, apparently forever.
The transitional government formed during peace talks in neighboring Kenya is now divided, after the president and prime minister set up operations about 60 miles northwest of Mogadishu, saying the capital was unsafe. The parliamentary speaker, dozens of lawmakers and warlords in Mogadishu, however, have argued the decision was unconstitutional.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/15/2005
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They also wanted to remember all of those who didn't make it. Bocksel noted that out of about 25,000 Americans captured by the Japanese army in World War II, more than 11,000 perished in the camps.
So what's the name of this place in Cuba where we are torturing our prisoners? Senator Durbin? Can you remember?
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 7:37
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IN 2000, Stanley Chirume, a primary school teacher from Budiriro township outside Harare, was earning Z$8000 (about R1333) a month. Today he earns Z$3.6-million â but that translates to only about R1200. With his old salary, he could afford to rent a three-bedroom house in the township at a monthly rental of Z$1200 (about R200). Then, minibus taxis charged Z$20 a trip from the township to the city. His three children were all in boarding school, where fees were Z$2500 for each of the yearâs three terms. He used to buy his three children new clothing for Christmas. But that all stopped in 2002 when the rising cost of living ate into his earnings. He used to take his family to his rural home twice a year, for Easter and Christmas â but not any more.
Bus fares to his rural home in Zvishavane, about 450km south of Harare, now cost him Z$280000 a person. In 2000, the fare was Z$300. âItâs dramatic how life has changed for us in Zimbabwe. I have nothing to show for working, and if things continue at this rate, our children have no hope. âI had bought a stand for just Z$40000 in 1998 in Budiriro, hoping that one day I would be able to build a house for my family, but things took a twist when my net income continued to decrease. In the end I had no choice but to sell that stand in 2001 because I could no longer afford the high council rates for that piece of land. Things just suddenly changed and we had to move to a smaller house. Now we canât even afford to have a decent breakfast, let alone eat out, something I used to treat my family to once in a while,â Chirume said.
Today, with his salary in the millions of dollars, he has downgraded from the three-bedroom house he was renting, to one with only one bedroom. Half his salary goes on the monthly rental. The rest takes care of transport and his three childrenâs school fees, leaving very little for food. Boarding fees at a government school are about Z$6-million a term (about R2222). âMy wife is also a teacher, but still our combined salaries canât cater for our needs. After paying school fees for our three children, we are left with nothing because what remains goes towards transport for the five of us, leaving very little for food. Worse still, most basic foodstuffs are in short supply, forcing us to buy anything available, which in most cases is expensive. We are just barely surviving and you can imagine how it is for single parents. Things are real tough now,â said Chirume.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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Tehran: "We want full disclosure of your intentions and 1000% accountability from all parties involved in your part of the negotiations."
Europeans: "Granted. And you will do the same?"
Tehran: "Don't be stupid."
Posted by: Chris W. ||
08/15/2005 1:38
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An increasingly defiant Iran called yesterday for Europe to open talks on Tehranâs desire to enrich uranium, .... They're gonna do it. They said so, again and again. So what's to talk about? The new Iranian president, meanwhile, named a government replete with hard-liners, a move that looked certain to further deepen Iranâs confrontation with the West. For our "feels-so-good-when-you-stop" negotiations, we always go to North Korea. That's all the fun we need.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 7:26
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âAll those who worked against Khatamiâs reformist agenda have now been nominated to sit in the government,â reformist writer Ali Reza Rajaei said. âMost of them are either former military commanders or people in close touch with security agencies.â Sounds like an efficient way to run a country; 'bout the same as appointing religious "scholars".
So what's to talk about? Kiddies, read up on your Bastille Day history. That's our only hope.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 7:29
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#2
Water, we don't need no stinkin' water. I wanna see "My Favorite Martian"
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005 12:16
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#3
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
Posted by: Sandy Greenbody, Mayor of Cydonia ||
08/15/2005 15:34
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After the various reconnaisance missions, in the 2015-2030 frame, I would imagine that we would send an unmanned burrowing robot to prepare the place for a long term human visit. The reason being that prepared horizontal caves are good radiation protection, are relatively easy to make air-tight, and can even have large open water cisterns in them. It just makes sense to have a lot of the grunt work done well before we arrive. The Robot would approach a rock wall, drill holes and insert explosives, fired remotely from a safe distance. Then, after scraping away several feet of broken collapsed rock, grind away large jagged edges on the inside walls, then drill lateral holes to insert lightweight ceramic reinforcing rod. Then it would begin again with the next section of rock face inside the new cave. When finished with that section of cave, it would spray the inside of the cave with an anti-leak goo. Lastly, the door to the cave would be cannibalized from the landing craft, part of its hull designed to be a door, with the rest of the ship cannibalized for wall and ceiling supports. This means that when people do arrive, they already have basic shelter, pre-tested for leaks, waiting for them. Additional robots sent prior to astronauts can do things like prospect for mineable quantitites of water and minerals, actually mine water for testing and pre-storage in quantity, and even build a much smoother landing pad to improve landing safety. When the people do arrive, whatever they bring will be the lighter supplies and equipment, in a faster spaceship more concerned with getting there and getting home. The slower and heavier robot ship can theoretically soon be assembled in space, in 100 ton chunks, with NASA's newest generation of cargo carrying rockets. Given two years lead time before the people leave, there are any number of missions the robots could perform, leading the way for multiple manned and unmanned missions for many years beyond. Best of all, the robots mission continues with or without people there, needing only periodic maintenance to continue on.
#6
Well, 'moose, with all that multi-billion-dollar robot action, why would you bother to send people? Why would they want to live in that cave? What can they do that robots can't do? And why would I want to spend that much money?
The robots I propose are complex but simple. They are designed for "brute force" projects that people would otherwise have to do themselves, but by having them done would free humans up for the truly complex and intellectual tasks, the real reason to go to Mars. They will still be busting their butts with physical labor, mind you, just not spending all their time doing it.
2) Why would they want to live in that cave?
Because the surface of Mars is hostile. Both with hard radiation and lack of breathable atmosphere. Since the minimum human mission time would be six months (I believe), it would be difficult for them to live in a compact space after the long trip in a compact space from Earth. A cave presents an excellent environment, both for area and for utility. That is, storage of water, growing of food, even storing oxygen in pressurised chambers. Later uses could include processing H3 (in the Lunar version) for shipment back to Earth, and refining metals, glasses and ceramics locally to save the expense of shipping them up.
3) What can they do that robots can't do?
Robots are terribly limited in their abilities compared to people. They are best used for difficult, dangerous, and time consuming or repetitive tasks. Artificial Intelligence is still in its infancy, but may be able to accomplish the tasks I outlined.
4) And why would I want to spend that much money?
Many people would prefer living in a social welfare state to any investment in science, the military, art and culture, or even quality of life. You can see the ruin societies who have adopted this model become. Traveling to the Moon can provide the US with vast amounts of clean energy. Traveling to Mars, and eventually establishing a permanent colony there will have so many benefits to mankind that it even defies the imagination.
#8
eLarson: Much of what people do on Mars depends on how much pre-preparation is done before they arrive. The prototypes for this exploration will be done on the Moon, an even more hostile non-environment. In that case, I would expect that manned robots would be used, along with verticle, rather than horizontal tunnel shafts. Once a short tunnel is dug, then a cylindrical shell will be lowered into it. The purpose of this shell will be to protect the tunneling robots from the insidious Lunar dust, which destroys mechanical parts quickly. Once inside the shell, then the manned robots will be used to hard-rock tunnel horizontally, possibly just using a shield against explosion fragmentation, it being in a vacuum. The focus on the Lunar expeditions would be to both learn how to do it, and to set up a permanent mining facility to scrape Lunar dust; then in a below ground facility, to concentrate the H3 for shipment back to Earth. The value of a single ship full of H3 is so great, it would pay for the entire Lunar project and much of the Martian project.
To answer your question about food, I would expect that the robot ship to Mars would probably have the entire ration of food and water for the mission, and the human ship would have enough for its round-way trip, plus enough emergency stores for an abbreviated mission. The assumption would be that unless the robot ship successfully landed and performed its missions, then the human ship wouldn't take off in the first place. But this wouldn't preclude other ships being sent to Mars both before and after the people, to do things like set up communications relays, transport endless amounts of additional equipment and fuel, along with things like test animals and replacement parts.
Once on Mars, in cave dwelling and with mined water, permanent hydroponic gardens would be set up with artificial light and heat, along with controlled nutrients. Again, the idea will be to continually reduce the number things that need to be shipped by making them locally. The big manufactured items of high value will be metals, ceramics and glasses.
Either Dean Martin or Turkmenbashi with a liberal application of Grecian Formula. I'm not sure which...
Turkmenistan's leader on Sunday congratulated citizens of the ex-Soviet republic on the Turkmen Melon Day he established to honour the favourite fruit of the sun-drenched Central Asian nation.
"Happy Melon Day, my fellow citizens!"
"And a happy Melon Day to you, too, O Turkmenbashi!"
The nation currently grows 500 varieties of melon, including the Czar Melon, grown to honour President Saparmurat Niyazov, and the Golden Age, meant to symbolise prosperity under the president, the Agriculture Ministry said. "Let the life of every Turkman be as beautiful as our melons," Niyazov said in a statement.
"Let's party hearty! Let the feast begin!"
"What're we having?"
"Melons."
"There is nothing like that in any country of the world," the state-run Neutral Turkmenistan daily said in a headline.
No ther country has a month named "Mom," either.
Niyazov has led the former Soviet republic, a largely desert nation rich in natural gas, since 1985 as Communist Party chief. He was elected president in 1992 in the wake of the Soviet collapse, and has since gone completely bonkers created a personality cult around himself.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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"Let the life of every Turkman be as beautiful as our melons,"
Anyone got pics of Turkmen woman and their melons?
You do get the sense that some -- a few, anyway -- average Afghans are beginning to understand what it takes to build a decent society.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A cartoon flickered on a television set in Abdul Samad Khaksar's living room as he took a drag from a cigarette and considered the merits of Afghanistan's former Taliban government. "The Taliban are like a medicine for Afghanistan that has expired," said Khaksar, 42, a white-bearded religious scholar who is running in parliamentary elections scheduled for September. "They want people to live like in the time of our Holy Prophet. I am in favor of how he lived, too. But it's impossible to bring that time back. The people of Afghanistan need something new."
It was a surprising assessment from a man who was once a senior official of the Taliban government -- an Islamic group so extreme that it outlawed television. Hundreds of Pakistani Taliban fighters continue to wage a guerrilla war against the Afghan government nearly four years after the group was ousted.
But Khaksar's candidacy also points to a central paradox of the Taliban insurgency. While the extremist militia is mounting an unprecedented wave of attacks, apparently aimed at sabotaging the elections, several hundred former Taliban members have returned from exile in Pakistan to join a government reconciliation program. A handful of well-known Taliban figures have even decided to run for parliament.
Returned from Pakistan, you say?
The militia's resurgence comes as a new government reconciliation program, open to all but senior Taliban militants linked to terrorism or war crimes, is yielding unprecedented results. Several hundred former Taliban members have recently streamed back into Afghanistan from Pakistan after formally renouncing violence, according to Afghan and U.S. officials. "The response has been tremendous," said a senior Afghan official who oversees the program. "So many of them are fed up and want to come home, as long as they are promised they will be treated well."
Let's see, a political settlement that allows tired fighters to come home, coupled with a military program that will eventually kill them if they don't -- hmmm, are we seeing that somewhere else in the region?
Some of those candidates were considered moderates when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan -- including Khaksar, who was deputy minister of interior, and Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, a high-profile foreign minister who spent three years in U.S. custody and then house arrest in Afghanistan after turning himself in. There are also several Taliban military commanders in the race, including Rais Baghrani of southern Helmand province and Abdul Salaam Rocketi, named for his skill at aiming rockets.
Must have never worked with Hek.
Although none of the candidates and few of the returnees appears to have been active in the recent insurgency, analysts said that their reentry into Afghan society has had an important psychological impact. "By coming in as Taliban, they've taken a stance in favor of the peace process, which basically cuts off the moral authority of those in armed resistance," said a Western diplomat.
Just as significant, none of the ex-Taliban candidates appears to be advocating the fundamentalist Islamic policies of Taliban rule, which prohibited women from showing their faces in public, closed girls' schools and required men to grow long beards. "There's absolutely no appetite for a Taliban-style party among mainstream Afghans, and that's a very hopeful sign," said Peter Dimitroff of the National Democratic Institute, which offers training to Afghan candidates. Even traditional rural voters, he said, are "looking for more mainstream conservative choices."
Although some of the former Taliban candidates still boast of the group's success in quashing the lawlessness of the 1990s, all have distanced themselves from the movement's more notorious practices.
Khaksar said he grew disillusioned with the Taliban government within a year of joining it. He described meeting Osama bin Laden at a Taliban commander's house and disagreeing with bin Laden's assertion that Afghanistan should be used to launch a global holy war. The commander, he said, "immediately ordered me to leave the house." After that incident, Khaksar said he feared he would be killed if he dared criticize the government, let alone try to resign from his position. Even today, he said, he receives death threats, and fears he cannot safely campaign in his native Kandahar province, once a Taliban stronghold.
Other candidates have been more ambiguous in their critiques. Abdul Hakim Mounib, 35, a former Taliban telecommunications official, refused to condemn the militia's laws banning music. "I myself do not like Two Live Crew music," said Mounib, a candidate from Ghazni province. "I like a calm environment." As to whether governments should forcibly prevent people from listening to music, Mounib said, "I don't know . . . this is a question that's really better for the Supreme Court."
One candidate from Kabul province who came through the reconciliation program refuses to admit he belonged to the Taliban at all, even though several former Taliban leaders have described him as a commander who led more than a hundred men from a base here. "I sent about 10 or 15 men from my village to help with security when the Taliban were going to visit certain areas of Kabul province. That's all," protested the candidate, who uses the single name Deedar, as his silver sport-utility vehicle bumped along a dirt road toward a campaign event in a mud-walled village outside Kabul.
A burly man with a gravelly voice that often rises to a giggle, Deedar, 46, said he had complained to Taliban leaders about the religious police beating women in the street, as well as the scorched-earth campaign against residents of the Shomali plain north of Kabul who opposed Taliban rule. A campaign aide brought a stack of campaign posters featuring a photograph of "Commander Deedar" and a biography that described his years as a fighter against the Soviet Union after its invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. There was no mention of his activities under the Taliban.
There's no amnesia like political amnesia.
The subject also never came up at the campaign meeting, a gathering of about 100 men from local villages who crowded on red carpets in a mosque to hear Deedar and other speakers rail against communists, praise President Hamid Karzai and complain about the lack of water and power in the region.
The next day, comments made by several villagers suggested Deedar had reason to be cautious. "I don't know anything about what Deedar did under the Taliban," said Ahmad Shah, 62, a government technician. "But if we know someone was a Talib, even if they were the best of Talibs, we wouldn't vote for them. They stopped the schools, they didn't let our women out of the house and they told us to just pray five times a day. How could we support our families by just praying?"
Mohammed Yasin, 42, who complained that a Taliban fighter had severely beaten him for making an innocent joke, was more forgiving of Deedar's purported affiliation. "Yes, I know he was a Taliban commander. But he didn't do anything bad to us then. He was a good person," said Yasin, a farmer. "Belonging to the Taliban isn't what matters. I just look at the personality of the candidate and how he behaved."
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Aw, isn't that sweet? The winning of hearts and minds.
AMMAN - The Iraqi tribunal trying Saddam Hussein on war crimes charges has blocked a bid by his family to fire his vast team of defence lawyers, saying only Saddam can make such a move, the family said on Sunday.
Lance Ito, call your office.
Last week a lawyer acting for Saddamâs eldest daughter Raghad said the family had scrapped the team of more than 2,000 attorneys claiming to be representing Saddam and would build a new, better-organised defence team.
Organizing a team of 2,000 lawyers can be such a challenge ...
But the Iraqi Special Tribunal, the court set up to try the former president and other senior members of his regime, blocked the familyâs effort to shake up the defence team. âWe want to clarify some issues relating to the request to revoke all powers of attorney. We are very surprised by such unlawful acts. The exclusive right to empower any lawyer or to cancel any power of attorney is for defendant Saddam Hussein,â said a letter sent by the tribunal and obtained by Reuters.
Saddamâs family says many of the lawyers claiming to represent him were never formally appointed and are more interested in self-promotion than mounting a serious defence. It says they often gave conflicting legal opinions.
At least 2,000 different opinions, many times more.
More than 2,000 lawyers had volunteered for Saddamâs defence team, including former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark and a daughter of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Others who said they were on the team included Anglo-Italian lawyer Giovanni di Stefano who once worked on behalf of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, and Roland Dumas, a colourful octogenarian who served as French foreign minister from 1988 to 1993 and acted as executor of Pablo Picassoâs estate.
A letter sent by Raghad to the tribunal said the family was entitled to choose Saddamâs defence team because the ousted dictator president was not able to make such decisions freely himself. âThe family of the dictator president is free to choose whoever it wants to defend him and to remove whoever it wants for as long as he is denied freedom of choice,â Raghdâs letter said.
Sources close to the family said they hoped the tribunal would change its position, possibly under US pressure.
Keep hoping.
The family demanded the presence of newly recruited lawyers alongside Khalil Dulaimi, the Iraqi lawyer who attends Saddamâs court hearings, to ensure Saddam had adequate legal representation for a fair trial.
Raghd said legal advice the family was getting from senior British lawyers whose identity has been kept confidential was to boycott the tribunal or any committee interrogating Saddam until her father was given access to heavyweight lawyers from abroad.
Namely, a group of 'senior British lawyers'.
The new team was ready to come to Baghdad as soon as the Iraqi special court gave them permission, Raghd said. âWe all able and willing to send legal specialists as soon as the legitimate tribunal your occupying masters allow them,â the letter said, referring to US-led forces in Iraq.
Raghd also criticised the tribunal for preventing her family from seeing Saddam, who aside from seeing a lawyer is isolated from the rest of the world. The tribunal denies that Saddam has had his rights infringed. So far Saddam has been formally charged in only one case the killing of Shias in the village of Dujail following a failed assassination attempt in 1982. Officials say his trial could begin within two months.
If when found guilty, he will get faces the death penalty.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Look for this boring melodrama to be resolved by a publicized meeting of SH with his chief lawyer and Tribunal judges, wherein the defendant is asked his wishes -- which always govern this matter.
I need cinematic trivia help -- was it "Take The Money And Run" by Woody Allen wherein the jury foreman stood and said "you honor, we find the defendant incredbly guilty"? That's the scene I keep seeing in my mind when considering the forthcoming trials.
I need cinematic trivia help -- was it "Take The Money And Run" by Woody Allen wherein the jury foreman stood and said "you honor, we find the defendant incredbly guilty"?
Actually, it was 'The Producers' - and what Mel Brooks could do with this...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/15/2005 7:02
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I just watched that last night, strangely. When Woody Allen is found guilty, the judge takes off his glasses and stomps on them.
Iran's new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presented a Cabinet to parliament on Sunday that featured known hard-liners in the foreign, interior and intelligence ministries. The conservative lawmaker Manouchehr Mottaki was nominated as foreign minister and a former hard-line deputy intelligence minister, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, was named as interior minister. The names suggest that Iran will move away from the moderate policies it pursued under the previous president, reformist Mohammad Khatami.
The nominated ministers are widely believed to be followers of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a noted conservative who has the final say on all state matters. The parliament has to pass a vote of confidence in the Cabinet before it takes office. Ahmadinejad named as intelligence minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei, a cleric whom reformist journalists regard as an unyielding opponent of press freedom. The proposed foreign minister, Mottaki, is a hard-liner who has criticized Iran's nuclear negotiations with the Europeans, saying the country should adopt a tougher position and not make concessions.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Why does it say Ahmadinejad names cabinet, It is Khamenei who got him elected and calls all the shots. He has a hardline theocratic dictatorship, it is only natural he would have a hardline president and cabinet. And besides, what moderate reform did Khatami ever implement anyway?
The importance of Khamenei concurring on the appointments is due to the fact that Ahmadinejad was elected on a platform that, in part, promised to eliminate financial corruption and it is known that most of the financial corruption is the result of the Khamenei minions getting their paws on the granting of licenses, distributorships, etc.
If these guys (and its all guys) don't get prosecuted, the anti corruption part of Ahmadinejab's platform is dead. This will tick off some of the naive slumdwellers who actually believed the rhetoric.
#1
Went to my high school class reunion this weekend, got the mike, asked for a show of veteran's hands, then thanked them all for their service and welcomed them home again. Good round of applause followed & I could tell from their expressions that it meant something to them.
Sri Lankan police have arrested 12 ethnic minority Tamils in overnight raids over the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Defence Ministry has said. The army, navy and police were involved in the raids in and around the capital, Colombo, said Brigadier Daya Ratnayake, a ministry spokesman said on Sunday. Eleven men and one woman were arrested. "They are being interrogated, but at this moment of time we don't want to say anything," Ratnayake said.
A state of emergency went into effect within hours of the killing of the heavily protected Kadirgamar, shot by suspected Tamil Tiger snipers on Friday evening at his home after taking a swim. Kadirgamar, 73, an ethnic Tamil who led efforts to ban the Tigers as a terrorist organisation but later backed peace efforts, was shot in the head and chest. Soldiers have been scouring the capital for suspects, searching homes and stopping cars, and military aircraft have been covering Tamil Tiger territory. The rebels have denied any responsibility for the shooting, a claim discounted by the government.
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Following New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's declaration of a state of emergency in four border counties on Friday,
Bill Richardson makes his opening gambit in Decision 2008. Hillary Clinton and GOP hopefuls, call your offices.
the Chihuahua state government called for greater cross-border dialogue to improve regional security. Richardson on Friday declared the area an emergency zone in order to get more federal funds to build a border fence and boost law enforcement with the aim of reducing crime related to drug and migrant trafficking and cattle rustling. He said Mexican authorities are doing their best to fight the problems but lack funds.
"I'm only trying to help out a neighbor in need here. But I can't do it alone. Send in the Marines."
On Saturday, the state of Chihuahua issued a statement in response. "We understand the concern of the New Mexican governor with defending the rights of his citizens and we will offer all the support we can to continue our good relationship with our northern neighbor," it read. The statement said the key to success will be better communication between the states' authorities. Chihuahua shares a 300 km. (186 mile) border with New Mexico. The principal population centers in the area are Ciudad Juárez and Palomas in Chihuahua and Deming and Columbus in New Mexico.
"Yipes. U.S. troops have really good guns and no sense of humor, plus they are really hard to bribe. Let's talk about this."
On Friday, the Foreign Relations Secretariat said Richardson's declaration doesn't "jibe with the spirit of cooperation and understanding" and called for a meeting "to promote appropriate actions."
Posted by: Chris W. ||
08/15/2005 1:35
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Mexico is scared shitless that if the border closed down their people will demand that they make mexico a better place to live. The "head north young man" attitude will have to be replace by a drive to make a life for themselves.
#4
..the Chihuahua state government called for greater cross-border dialogue to improve regional security.
This doesn't mean squat.
"We understand the concern of the New Mexican governor with defending the rights of his citizens and we will offer all the support we can to continue our good relationship with our northern neighbor," it read.
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said yesterday there was evidence linking Tamil Tiger rebels to the assassination of her foreign minister, but she vowed not to give up on the peace process that most think is the best hope of ending 19 years of bloodshed in this South Asian island nation. âInitial indications of the investigations seem to reveal responsibility of the LTTE in the brutal murder,â Chandrika said in a nationwide television broadcast last night. âIt is unacceptable that a group that talks endlessly about being committed to a cease-fire could so blatantly violate it,â she said, referring to a 2002 Norwegian-brokered truce between government forces and the rebels.
Yeah, but it seems to me that if you keep yapping with them, then you're accepting the unacceptable. Or am I missing something?
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THE Ngondo family donât have electricity on their farm â but they have enough uranium underground to power the nearby town of Beaufort West for a thousand years. In April they landed a breathtaking R20-million windfall when they sold the mineral rights on the farm Katdoringkuil to a London-based mining company, Uranco Incorporated. When they had bought the 6000ha of flat, dusty veld four years ago, with a state subsidy, nothing had hinted at the rich uranium deposits waiting under the Karoo scrub. âWe had a dream to own a farm, but our dream turned into another dream because nobody expected there to be something like uranium in that property,â said Thandi Ngondo, 59, a retired railway worker.
He and his seven brothers and sisters set up a family trust to buy the land in 2001. Thandiâs brother Zwelinzima, 69, is the only sibling who lives on the farm, in a derelict house without electricity. He tends a vegetable patch and keeps a few goats, sheep, pigs and chickens.
#2
Just another missed opportunity for Chirac to keep his mouth shut. As far as a âcommon foreign policyâ is concerned everyone should know that policy is set by France and Germany
Poland has no right to think that the Nation of Poland should matter at all when it comes to France and it's dealing with Russia as far as France is concerned.
#4
According to Interfax, Putin's foreign affairs adviser Sergei Prikhodko-asked why the presidents of Poland and Lithuania had not been invited to the celebrations-said: "This is a holiday of the Russian nation and only our friends were invited speaking the same language."
---
This does not bode well. Kick out Hawaii and make Poland the 50th state.
Kuwaiti authorities have nabbed a drug smuggling operation which aimed to sneak one ton of drugs into Kuwait and other Gulf countries by hiding them inside carpets, a police official said yesterday.
Whoa! Dewd! A friggin' ton?
"It was the biggest and most bizarre seizure (of drugs) in the Middle East," Col. Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah was quoted as saying by the KUNA news agency. He did not say what kind of drugs were involved or where they came from, but said they were "placed inside small plastic tubes in a big carpet" and were valued at "millions of (Kuwaiti) dinars." A security source told AFP the consignment was seized at Kuwait airport late Saturday.
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South Sudan's main militia has given its support to new First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit and said it would resume talks on joining the southern security force. The announcement on Saturday by Major General Paulino Matip, commander of the Southern Sudan Defence Forces, was unlikely just two weeks ago, when the vice presidency was held by John Garang de Mabior. Garang and Matip had a number of differences over southern issues, particularly security.
Garang died in a helicopter crash on 30 July and was succeeded by Kiir, former commander of the Sudan People's Liberation Army. In his inaugural speech on Thursday, Kiir expressed his desire to reach out to southern military and political factions. Matip, who had stayed away when Garang was in power, was one of hundreds of delegates who greeted Kiir at the Khartoum airport on Wednesday, receiving a warm embrace, attended his inauguration, and met with him both Friday and Saturday.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Around the world, DNA testing is being used to solve crimes and establish paternity. Despite the Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence) Academyâs approval of introducing it in certain circumstances, Saudi courts remain hesitant about accepting test results as evidence of lineage. With the increase of paternity cases due to extramarital affairs, illegal marriage contracts or other unfortunate circumstances through which parents are separated from their children, it has become necessary for judges to update their evidence-base and rely on modern scientific methods rather than old applications. However, it seems that many judges are unconvinced that DNA tests are more accurate than a witness or lineage expert stating that âthis child is fathered by that man.â
âDNA test results are never accepted in courts here,â Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, a lawyer, told Arab News. âEven when a judge recently accepted the results for a lineage case, he was rebuked by the appellate court and his ruling was overturned.â Al-Khouli contends that judges approve four proofs: a legal marriage contract, an admission of paternity, two witnesses stating that the child is the manâs (which is applied in the case of a father dying before registering his child) or a method called qayafa where a lineage expert bases his decision on resemblance.
An appearance on a Montel or Maury Povich paternity episode trumps all of these.
âQayafa was introduced in courts some centuries ago, and even though it is far less accurate than DNA, it is accepted by judges over DNA, which has an accuracy rate of 99.6 percent,â Al-Khouli said.
...and Allan knows best.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Ah yes 7th century"science"trumps 21st century science,after all 7 omes before 21.Don't ignorant Kifirs no nottin.
#5
The ancient Roman aristocracy had a similar problem -- an awful lot of the next generation looking suspiciously like Mom's favourite slave boy. But then, those newfangled lead water pipes were already having an effect in those days...
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - A U.S. diplomat barred from meeting victims of President Robert Mugabe's mass eviction campaign, criticized the Zimbabwe government Saturday for interfering with aid efforts and warned of outrage in Congress over the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Tony Hall, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization, said the United States would donate $51.8 million worth of food for Zimbabwe and the neighboring drought-stricken countries of Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland.
The 73,500 tons will be sufficient to feed 5 million to 6 million people for a month, he told reporters at Harare airport. "Despite our differences with the government, the United States will stand by the people of Zimbabwe because there is no place for politics when it comes to feeding hungry people," Hall said at the end of a three-day visit.
Now we have to find ways to keep Bob from pilfering the aid.
But he warned that the U.S. donation "only scratched the surface of an essentially political problem."
The World Food Program says up to a third of Zimbabwe's 12 million people may suffer from food shortages, even though Mugabe's government has played down the need for outside help. Hall said Zimbabwean bureaucracy was keeping 10,000 tons of food aid from U.S. relief groups "bottled up" in the South African port of Durban, over alleged lack of import licenses. He said another group had not been given permission to distribute 15,000 tons already here.
An aid convoy from the South African Council of Churches has also been held up for nearly a week as the Zimbabwe government insists on certificates to prove it contains no genetically modified food.
Must be taking lessons from Col. Mengistu, who conveniently resides in Harare.
Hall said he would speak with U.S. officials about what he had seen. "Don't forget I have a lot of friends in the U.S. Congress, and they are going to be outraged," said Hall, who was a congressman for 24 years.
Security officers prevented Hall and his entourage from making a scheduled visit to Hopley Farm, on the capital's outskirts, to investigate claims that 700,000 urban poor were left homeless or without jobs by the eight-week "Operation Murambatsvina" - "Drive Out Filth." Many were evicted into midwinter cold from May to July. Opposition groups contend Mugabe's government is trying to drive disaffected city voters into rural areas where they can be intimidated by denial of access to food.
Hall said the official reason for blocking his stop at Hopley was that the delegation needed a special visitors permit since the site is run by the military. But, he added, "I was told in a hushed tone that the government doesn't want me to see this place because old people are dying."
Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, has said he is prepared to show progress in rehousing those evicted by Operation Murambatsvina. But human rights lawyers last week dismissed claims of improved conditions at Hopley, saying it was "nothing but a new transit camp."
Hall said he was distressed by conditions in Hatcliff township outside Harare, which he visited Friday. "I had several people come up to me and ask me for blankets and food. They don't have enough to keep themselves warm ... their children are hungry," he said. "One gentleman spoke of the night he was evicted - police arrived with no notice, driving him and others out with dogs. He was forced to sleep outside for a week during the coldest time of winter."
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DAMASCUS - Syria and Lebanon discussed on Sunday the implementation of oil and electricity agreements signed between the two countries and stressed the importance of evaluating these agreements for the benefit of both.
'cause the Syrians are so loaded with oil that they just have to share.
Syrian Electricity Minister Muneeb Saâm el-Daher met with Lebanese Energy Minister Mohammed Fniesh in Damascus to discuss the follow up steps to implement agreements to supply Lebanon with electricity and evaluate stages that have been achieved of these agreements.
El-Daher told reporters after the meeting that âelectricity cooperation between Syria and Lebanon has always been fruitful for both sidesâ. Syria has always âcommitted to provisions of any agreement with any country especially Lebanonâ he added. The minister added that an outstanding debt of 30 million dollars owed by Lebanon to Syria for electricity supply âwould not be an obstacle in the way of improving relationsâ and said he hoped to find a suitable way to settle this debt.
The first electricity agreement between Syria and Lebanon was signed in 1995 back when Lebanon was a colony of Syria.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Yeah, well they be tellin me that big ol vacant lots that don't grow nuthin is replacin farms...
Posted by: Farmin B. Hard ||
08/15/2005 12:07
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I'm surprised Bob hasn't set up death camps yet. Almost as surprised that the peasants haven't revolted with pointed sticks yet. Even with horrific losses, they could cause enough chaos to make something happen.
With one day left to finish Iraq's new constitution, Sunni Arabs asked Sunday that the divisive issue of federalism be put off until next year so the draft can be completed on time, warning they would not accept provisions for federated states. American officials applied pressure to resolve differences on that and other issues before Monday's deadline for parliament to adopt the constitution, and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he was convinced the Iraqis would succeed.
Some politicians said the draft could be presented to the Shiite- and Kurdish-led parliament Monday over Sunni Arab objections. But that would further alienate that disaffected minority, undercutting the U.S. goal of using the political process to take the steam out of the Sunni-dominated insurgency. "It looks like all the agreements are being made only by the Kurds and the Shiites without even asking our opinion," Sunni Arab official Saleh al-Mutlaq said Sunday. "I believe the draft is going to be presented tomorrow even if it is not finished, with or without our approval."
Parliament scheduled a meeting for 6 p.m. (10 a.m. EDT) Monday to allow as much time as possible for negotiators to agree on a draft. The main obstacle was the argument over federalism, which the formerly dominant Sunni Arabs fear could lead to Kurdish and Shiite Muslim regions splitting away from Iraq. But al-Mutlaq said there also was no agreement on 17 other issues, including the distribution of oil wealth. Another Sunni official voiced objections over a Shiite-Kurdish deal to grant special status to the clerical hierarchy of Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority.
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No major oil reserves in sunni areas wouldn't figure into this would it?
#2
yup 3d. Normally youd think the minorities, (Which the Sunni arabs are) would be pressing for autonomy, and the largest group (the Shia) pressing for centralization. Looking at the oil map explains the reversal.
#3
"It looks like all the agreements are being made only by the Kurds and the Shiites without even asking our opinion," Sunni Arab official Saleh al-Mutlaq said Sunday. "I believe the draft is going to be presented tomorrow even if it is not finished, with or without our approval."
Not having been willing to play by the rules from the start might have something to do with that....
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A survey conducted by Iraq's constitutional drafting committee showed that the majority of those responding supported full rights for women - as long as the freedoms are in accordance with Islam.
I'm not sure that makes sense ...
The survey released Sunday was conducted by a subcommittee of Iraq's constitutional committee that is drafting a new charter for the country. Though not designed with random sampling as are leading U.S. polls, the survey nonetheless was an attempt by the group to gauge public opinion in Iraq's chaotic environment on key topics in the charter. Over 156,000 people submitted responses to a multiple-choice questionnaire that was distributed across the country. Participants turned the forms into some 1,000 boxes across the country, according to Adnan Mohammed Hassan, head of the committee that directed the survey.
Several international polling agencies have measured Iraqi public opinion, but this survey is the first known government survey conducted since the country's new leaders were elected on Jan. 30.
On the topic of women's rights, 12 percent of respondents said women should have the same rights as men. Some secular-minded women fear a loss of rights if conservative clerics heavily influence the new constitution. Fifty-five percent said they favored a decentralized form of government, while 26 percent said they wanted a central government with a full powers.
The question of how much power to grant to local governments has been a contentious subject among the country's leaders. On Tuesday a top Shiite leader said he supported an autonomous region in the south for Shiites, but Sunni Arabs objected to the proposal's inclusion in the constitution, arguing that it would lead to the division of the country.
On the subject of the role of religion in the government, 28 percent said they want Islam to be the main source of legislation, while 25 percent said it should be the only source. The seemingly small difference in language has been negotiated on for days by the country's leaders, some who insist that the charter be entirely rooted in religious law.
On their preferred system of government, 55 percent said they prefer a parliamentarian system of rule, while 20 percent said they want to elect leaders directly through a presidential system. Eleven percent also said they want the constitution to bar senior members of Saddam Hussein's government from government posts.
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It doesn't make sense. But it's a start. The discussion of women's rights has entered their vocabulary. Now they can argue among themselves about what "women's rights" mean. They are forced to wonder how Islam and women's rights can be compatible.
#2
when Henry the 8th took over the church in england, the clergy voted to accept him as head "as far as the law of Christ allows" Hemming and hawing is ALWAYS what people do when radical change threatans. Clearly Iraqis want to move in the direction of rights for women - they reject Taliban style gender apartheid. But, OTOH, theyre NOT willing to say that womens equality trumps Islamic law. The rubber hits on the road on several specific areas of Islamic law, notably divorce, inheritance, etc. There is SOME variety among the different schools of Islamic law, and different interpretations within them, IIUC. So theres a lot of room for play, which we will see.
A Sudanese committee set up to probe the death of first vice president and former rebel leader John Garang, which triggered days of deadly rioting, began its investigations yesterday. âThe committee held its first meeting under the chairmanship of Sayyed Abel Alier,â said Siraj Eddin Hamid, a member of the committee and a former Sudanese ambassador to Uganda.
Garang died on July 30 when a Ugandan presidential helicopter on which he was traveling crashed on its way to south Sudan from Uganda, just three weeks after he became vice president under a landmark peace deal he helped craft. His death raised fears about the peace process in the war-ravaged country and sparked deadly riots in Khartoum and towns in southern Sudan, with some southerners claiming the government may have had a hand in it.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has suggested that the crash, initially blamed on bad weather in the mountainous region of south Sudan, may not have been an accident. Sudanese President Omar Bashir issued a decree on Aug. 8 establishing the seven-member committee and named former vice president Alier, a southerner, who like Garang hails from the Dinka tribe, to head the panel. The panel also includes six aviation experts â three from the Sudanese government and three from the former rebel group that Garang headed, the Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Movement.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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#1
Such a timely start, and in under 30 days as well. Better late than never?
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
08/15/2005 6:21
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Politicians yield to public pressure and reject the name Pakistan Road for a short dirt road in a summerhouse quarter Owners of a few summerhouses and vegetable patches in Copenhagen's Amager quarter rejoiced on Friday, after it became clear that their houses would not get the address Pakistani Road. The Road Directorate originally decided to give the name to the two-metre long dirt road but met with cries of protests, as the quarter's residents, most of whom own small summerhouses and vegetable gardens on allotments near the road, did not feel that it was Danish enough.
The city's politicians decided to heed the residents' call, and name the road 'By Kastrup Fort', as the locals had proposed. Councillor Monica Thon from the Radical Liberal Party (sic) told daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten that she had been against the Pakistan name from the beginning, as it was not descriptive enough of the road. Thon emphasised, however, that she was not hostile towards Pakistan as a country. 'I'm well aware that this case may sound like it has some kind of a hostile tone, but I think it would be insulting to name a tiny dirt road after a big country like Pakistan,' she said. 'We are building like crazy around Copenhagen, and I would be surprised if we couldn't find a more fitting and bigger road and name it after Pakistan.' Heh. Howz about the road to the garbage dump?
A key Taleban commander was captured and four Taleban militants were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan in the latest violence before parliamentary elections, the US military said yesterday. Afghan security forces backed by US troops in a raid on Saturday captured Qari Baba, former governor of Ghazni province under the hard-line Taleban regime, said US military spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry OâHara. Qari Baba had been leading attacks against US troops and the Afghan government in the southeastern province of Ghazni. The National Security Directorate âled the raid and coalition forces worked together to detain Qari Baba at his home in an operation that was a success for all concerned,â OâHara said.
A weapons cache of 16 AK-47s, several machineguns, rocket-propelled grenades and launchers, cell phones and a large amount of ammunition was discovered in his house in Andar district, he said. On Friday, three insurgents were killed and two Afghan National Police were wounded in a firefight near the town of Deh Rawood in the southern province of Uruzgan, the US military said in a statement. The battle broke out after Afghan and US forces, patrolling in the area, came into contact with an unknown number of âenemy combatantsâ near the town which has been a hotbed for Taleban activity, it said. The same day one âenemy combatantâ was killed in another attack by seven to 10 militants on an Afghan-US military convoy south of Kabul, the statement said.
Hundreds of American Marines and Afghan special forces trekked far into remote Afghan mountains to retake a valley controlled by militants suspected of ambushing a team of US commandos and shooting down a special forces helicopter. The major offensive Saturday in eastern Kunar province, near the border with Pakistan, is the biggest yet against those believed responsible for the twin attacks on June 28, the deadliest blow for American forces in Afghanistan since ousting the Taleban in 2001.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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#1
Ha-ha!
Posted by: Nelson Muntz ||
08/15/2005 1:23
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#2
How many commanders does the taleban have? Is it like mcdonalds where everyone behind the counter is a manager?
#4
Imagine what the resume of your typical Taliban fighter must look like:
1998-2001 Peshawar State College, BA in Jihad 2001-02 Commander of Militant Islamic Dogcatching Squad 2002-03 Commander, Donkey Cavalry Brigade 2003-04 Lieutenant to Mullah Omar
#2
When I was in Washington in October, I wandered around a little on the Sunday before the meeting and went into a bookstore before going to the Air and Space museum.
The bookshop was selling pocket-sized versions of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. I was struck by how small they were! - adhering to the maxim that the best things come in small packages (this was also around the time that the EU 'constitution' debacle/debate was reaching fever pitch)
I was kicking myself for not buying a copy when I was out there. Next time then ;)
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
08/15/2005 8:52
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Traffic reports and studies presented by Saudi universities and local traffic departments reveal that women cause around 50% of traffic accidents, despite not being allowed to drive.
Well, damn them! Maybe they shouldn't be allowed to ride, either?
According to the studies, reasons behind road accidents involving women are usually caused by their lack of knowledge of road traffic rule and regulations. Some actions include opening the car door without paying attention to on-coming traffic is common.
"Watch out for that in-line skater!"
Marital quarrels are another main although overlooked reason.
"Mahmoud, I'm leaving you!... Hey! Watch out for the camel!"
Official statistics indicate that nearly 65,000 deaths and 50,000 injuries resulted from 800,000 accidents during the years from 1971 to 1995. Comparatively high, recent statistics show 1.5 million accidents during the last thirty years. The studies also show that 78 % of victims are less than 45 years of age. Moreover, statistics provided by the Ministry of Health refer to the fact that one fifth of these numbers are kids under the age of 15. Hit and run accidents are a major problem in Saudi Arabia especially inside cities and neighborhoods, outside schools and shopping centers where traffic statistics record more than 7 thousand accidents with people run over by cars each year.
This travesty must not continue. I'm calling my Congresscritter. There oughta be a law...
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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#1
Since roughly half the peeps are women...
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/15/2005 0:43
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#2
Where's Gentle, perhaps she can clarify...
Posted by: Rafael ||
08/15/2005 4:13
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#3
further analysis reveals that at the time of the accident, these women were frequently sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, and are related to the driver by way of marriage -- either as wife or as the mother of the wife.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/15/2005 8:25
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#7
When I first read the headline, I had a mental image of Machmoud staring down a woman's ankles on the sidewalk and smacking into the back of the car in front of him. "I don't know Mr. Police Man...I was just staring at her sexy ankles, and next thing I know, this happened. She needs to be stoned for showing her ankles in public!"
Posted by: BA ||
08/15/2005 8:38
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A mother's anguish turns to ire,
Her liquid tears to spears of fire,
A useful fool for the liberal Left,
All hatred now, no more bereft.
The honor which her son embraced,
Is now dishonored, now disgraced,
As his mother stands atop his grave,
From there to shriek, from there to rave
Yes, some are maddened in their grief,
And grief can surely change belief;
But this woman's views, her family say,
Have long been held, long fore today,
Enabling Leftists to use her grieving,
For Moore deception, Moore deceiving.
I see this mother as a willing fool,
A useful Moorish Code Pinko tool.
As one who fought in another place,
I sorrow for this boy's disgrace,
By a zealot mother grafting grief
Stealing his brave deeds, an honor thief,
Usurping his valor to claim her share,
Five minutes of fame in Media's glare.
Her platform one you don't see often:
A dishonored, flag-draped, soldier's coffin.
I can hear Michael Moore muttering under his breath,
"Yeah, this was really a useful death."
Prosecutors in the trial of two Egyptians charged over deadly bombings in Sinai resorts last year have denied torture allegations made by the defendants.
"Nope. Nope. Never happened."
The prosecution produced a medical report during the session rebuffing claims that police tortured defendants Mohammed Gaiez al-Sabah and Mohammed Rubaa Addallah in order to extract confessions. "The report found that the police had nothing to do with the injuries on the bodies of the defendants," a prosecutor told the high state security court hearing the case. It added that the report concluded that "the injuries were normal and not the result of torture".
"I mean, there's lotsa people got them kind of scars on their noses!"
The accused men had alleged last month that police tortured them to force them to confess to carrying out the bombings that killed 34 people at the Hilton hotel in Taba and two other Sinai resorts on 7 October 2004. Defence lawyer Said Fathi questioned the veracity of the report and asked the presiding judge to allow him to study it.
"Lemme see that thing, Yeronner!"
The defendants are charged with "premeditated murder, failure to surrender themselves, determination to assassinate Israeli tourists ... terrorism and resisting the authorities during arrests". A third suspect, Mohammed Ahmed Salah Felifel, was killed by police at the beginning of the month.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/15/2005
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#6
I really feel sorry for this guy stuck in the middle of the political protest bs. Guess they feel it's somehow ok to screw with other people's lives because Crawford's not a huge town and the President is a part-time resident. Methinks the protest folks would be crying and lamenting to no end should their families' lives be disrupted by this sort of bs for months. Perhaps the poor guy should also spread out manure mechanically and miss the mark a little in the direction of the protest peons. (it's deadly in the middle of summer) Methinks he should do some spraying to keep down the weeds on the perimeter also (that will scare off the eco nut contingents). I'd also suggest that his friends join him in target practice everyday bright and early. Might want to get some big dogs out there also. Perhaps legal action claiming nuisance, trespassing, intentional interference with prospective economic relations, neglgient infliction of emotional distress, etc would also help. I'd be po'd to no end if my tranquill life was disrupted by nutjobs like those gathering in Crawford. Don't get me wrong, free speech is important but I don't believe that self proclaimed activists should be allowed to ruin the quality of life for fellow citizens for months on end in the name of free speech. It's abusive and in no way necessary. But, given the common standard of stunted moral growth prevailing among activists, why would the average idiot protest nutter ever realize that basic truth about what is fair and just?
#11
The GFW's (gun fearing wussies) must have had a near melt down actually hearing a real live shotgun go off for the first times in their New York Times coddled lives.
Hope they soiled themselves. Bet it woke up a couple of dozen dozing Secret Service agents too.
#12
#5 & # 8 According to Keating's History of Ireland, the O'Sheehans,along with the Collins' and O'Meehans, were chief's in the baronies of Conello in County Limerick. But we aren't claiming her because she took the name, O'Sheehan, when she married Casey's father.
I think her maiden name was "Trubblemacher".
#13
I liked what he said about "nobody makin' anything around here but the port-a-potty people". I saw a Fox interview this morning with him. He initially supported the protesters saying they had the right to protes there but "after 5 days of it it's kinda like having your brother-in-law stay for 5 days, it stinks".
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/15/2005 12:06
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#14
pretty funny, actually, considering the dove = "unwilling to support military action" meaning.
Posted by: got my own spoon ||
08/15/2005 12:34
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#15
For central Texas, dove season opens Sept 1. There will lots and lots of shooting around there! Early morning and late evening are the best times.
#17
There are much better ways to rid yourself of unwanted squaters. For instance you can procure some essence of Skunk which has a two-fold affect. First it smell just like a skunk and will wrinkle the most moonbats noses and second it will draw any skunk in a three to four mile area to see whats going on. Use your imagination on what will happen when real skunks show up for some lovin and there is nothing but stinky protesters around.
#20
Good grief, my backyard feeder is overrun with doves. I could hunt them from the back porch, were I so inclined. The only way it would be easier, would be if the damned things walked up to the back door and committed hari-kiri on the doormat.
September 1, you say...Hmmmm. White wine, I guess... and a wild-rice and onion stuffing.
#21
Sgt. Mom, doves out in the wild not accustomed to a feeder are a lot harder to hit than you might think. They have to be shot on the wing, it's illegal to shoot them on the ground.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/15/2005 19:12
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#22
Just as well, actually. I don't have a gun, I live within San Antonio city limits and I am extremely nearsighted anyway...
On the other hand, I'll bet I could score a couple of kills with a wrist-rocket...
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
An American tank that was parked outside the as-Sajariyah mosque in western ar-Ramadi opened fire with its machine guns on worshippers as they emerged from the place of worship after the congregational prayers at midday Friday, cutting down more than 40 people. .... the soldier who was standing on the back of the tank continued firing the machine gun at the worshippers for about three minutes. ..... 
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A man who once shouted "cuckoo" and then dropped his pants to moon a jury has been convicted of attacking his girlfriend with a boxcutter. Cornell Jackson, 31, could face up to 33 years in prison when sentenced Tuesday. That's the penalty he received after two earlier trials in which convictions were reversed because he had not received formal competency hearings. Jackson's lawyers argued he was legally insane when, in a jealous rage over perceived attention that Kisha Smith had paid to another man, he slashed her on Jan. 21 and 22, 2000. The second attack came after she returned home from getting her initial wound stitched at a hospital. Jackson testified that he battles demons regularly with "Jesus and Michael Archangel." 
KARACHI - Pakistani police said on Monday four suspected Islamic militants arrested last week belong to the youth wing of an opposition Islamic party but have no links with the Al Qaeda network. 
Aug 15, 2005 
The breasts of Britain's women have grown by a cup-size in the past decade and could be changing the shape of the female spine, according to new research. An average bra size of 34B 10 years ago has increased to a 36C across this country and Australasia, the bra manufacturer Bendon has discovered. The result was supported by retailer Marks & Spencer, but a spokesman said it had only noticed the change in the past five years. 
3 killed in crossfire
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - Fighting across southern Afghanistan has left at least 28 suspected Taliban rebels dead as violence rages on in the countdown to crucial legislative elections next month, officials said Monday. The bloodiest battle occurred in Zabul province Sunday when Afghan forces attacked a group of suspected militants, killing 16 and arresting one, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Among the dead was a local Taliban commander, Mullah Nasir, it said. 
Iran yesterday warned the US that any use of force over its nuclear programme would be a "mistake", and told Europe that its attitude would help determine whether it resumes uranium enrichment. "Bush should know that our capabilities are much greater than those of the US," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. "We don't think that the US will make such a mistake."
Egyptian security forces have arrested three suspected members of a cell involved in the July bombings in the Red Sea resort of 
TEHRAN - Hundreds of Iranian students pelted the British embassy with eggs, tomatoes and stones on Sunday, in protest of Europeâs call for Iran to permanently freeze its nuclear program.
MOGADISHU, Rival militias in arid southwestern Somalia battled Saturday for control over a village with pastures and wells. Twelve combatants died, and hundreds of residents fled, according to those in the area.
IN 2000, Stanley Chirume, a primary school teacher from Budiriro township outside Harare, was earning Z$8000 (about R1333) a month. Today he earns Z$3.6-million â but that translates to only about R1200. With his old salary, he could afford to rent a three-bedroom house in the township at a monthly rental of Z$1200 (about R200). Then, minibus taxis charged Z$20 a trip from the township to the city. His three children were all in boarding school, where fees were Z$2500 for each of the yearâs three terms. He used to buy his three children new clothing for Christmas. But that all stopped in 2002 when the rising cost of living ate into his earnings. He used to take his family to his rural home twice a year, for Easter and Christmas â but not any more. 
Iran's new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presented a Cabinet to parliament on Sunday that featured known hard-liners in the foreign, interior and intelligence ministries. The conservative lawmaker Manouchehr Mottaki was nominated as foreign minister and a former hard-line deputy intelligence minister, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, was named as interior minister. The names suggest that Iran will move away from the moderate policies it pursued under the previous president, reformist Mohammad Khatami.
Sri Lankan police have arrested 12 ethnic minority Tamils in overnight raids over the assassination of Foreign Minister 
Sri Lankan President 
THE Ngondo family donât have electricity on their farm â but they have enough uranium underground to power the nearby town of Beaufort West for a thousand years. In April they landed a breathtaking R20-million windfall when they sold the mineral rights on the farm Katdoringkuil to a London-based mining company, Uranco Incorporated. When they had bought the 6000ha of flat, dusty veld four years ago, with a state subsidy, nothing had hinted at the rich uranium deposits waiting under the Karoo scrub. âWe had a dream to own a farm, but our dream turned into another dream because nobody expected there to be something like uranium in that property,â said Thandi Ngondo, 59, a retired railway worker.
Kuwaiti authorities have nabbed a drug smuggling operation which aimed to sneak one ton of drugs into Kuwait and other Gulf countries by hiding them inside carpets, a police official said yesterday. 
South Sudan's main militia has given its support to new First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit and said it would resume talks on joining the southern security force. The announcement on Saturday by Major General Paulino Matip, commander of the Southern Sudan Defence Forces, was unlikely just two weeks ago, when the vice presidency was held by John Garang de Mabior. Garang and Matip had a number of differences over southern issues, particularly security.
Around the world, DNA testing is being used to solve crimes and establish paternity. Despite the Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence) Academyâs approval of introducing it in certain circumstances, Saudi courts remain hesitant about accepting test results as evidence of lineage. With the increase of paternity cases due to extramarital affairs, illegal marriage contracts or other unfortunate circumstances through which parents are separated from their children, it has become necessary for judges to update their evidence-base and rely on modern scientific methods rather than old applications. However, it seems that many judges are unconvinced that DNA tests are more accurate than a witness or lineage expert stating that âthis child is fathered by that man.â
With one day left to finish Iraq's new constitution, Sunni Arabs asked Sunday that the divisive issue of federalism be put off until next year so the draft can be completed on time, warning they would not accept provisions for federated states. American officials applied pressure to resolve differences on that and other issues before Monday's deadline for parliament to adopt the constitution, and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he was convinced the Iraqis would succeed.
A Sudanese committee set up to probe the death of first vice president and former rebel leader John Garang, which triggered days of deadly rioting, began its investigations yesterday. âThe committee held its first meeting under the chairmanship of Sayyed Abel Alier,â said Siraj Eddin Hamid, a member of the committee and a former Sudanese ambassador to Uganda.
A key Taleban commander was captured and four Taleban militants were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan in the latest violence before parliamentary elections, the US military said yesterday. Afghan security forces backed by US troops in a raid on Saturday captured Qari Baba, former governor of 
Traffic reports and studies presented by Saudi universities and local traffic departments reveal that women cause around 50% of traffic accidents, despite not being allowed to drive. 
Prosecutors in the trial of two Egyptians charged over deadly bombings in Sinai resorts last year have denied torture allegations made by the defendants. 
